Soup-er Duper

This past weekend was much cooler (it went from 92 to 68 in less than 2 hours on Friday night...) and it rained all weekend long! It was just one of those cool, dreary weekends that calls for curling up on the couch with a book, a good TV show and a bowl of soup! I tried two soups out and one was a winner for me and the other - it wasn't a "loser" but it just didn't strike my fancy.

I thought I'd share the recipes with you today - the weather here in Northern Virginia hasn't changed much since the weekend, it's still cool and dreary. Perhaps you'll find a new favorite between these two - I certainly did!

What You Need

• 2 can white meat chicken; drained
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion; diced
• 4 red potatoes; sliced
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 Ranch dressing packet mix
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 8 oz. vegetable broth
• 5 slices bacon; cooked & crumbled

What To Do

• Melt the butter on the bottom of the crock pot. Add all the vegetables on top of butter and stir to coat with the butter.
• Add salt and pepper to chicken if desires and add to the crock pot.
• Mix together the cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream and Ranch dressing mixture until well blended. Temper the mixture by heating in the microwave for 40 seconds (to keep the milk from curdling). Pour on top of the chicken and vegetables.
• Add in 8 ounces vegetable broth and crumbled bacon.
• Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours - low and slow is best with milk and dairy products.
• Garnish with crumbled bacon...extra parsley...cheese... whatever suits you and enjoy!

This stew was a huge winner in my eyes - it was thick and had a warm, comforting and flavorful taste! It will be perfect as the weather gets cooler. It's filling and delicious! I'd say give this one a try - but I'd recommend that if you're making it for more than two people, you'll probably want to double the recipe!

The other recipe was from Plain Chicken and I've never tried a recipe from her that I didn't love...alas, this one was the exception to the rule! *sigh*

What You Need

• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 32 oz. chicken broth
• 1 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 10.75 oz. cans of tomato soup
• 2 8 oz. containers of chive & onion cream cheese spread; softened
• 1 18 oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini

What To Do

• In a skillet, cook the Italian sausage until browned and no longer pink. Transfer cooked sausage to the slow cooker.
• Add chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato soup to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Stir in cream cheese and tortellini. Cover and cook on high for 15-30 minutes until tortellini is cooked.

What you might notice about my recipe - I completely excluded the Italian sausage - I do not love Italian sausage even a little bit, so I left it out. I'd like to think that it might make a big difference here...but I'm not sure. The taste was good... I added in some oregano and basil while the soup was cooking and it had a good tomato flavor that paired really well with the tortellini.

I suppose what I'm saying is - this one is definitely worth giving a shot. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it and I know full well the people I'd be making it for wouldn't eat it. So it probably won't be added to the rotation...but that doesn't mean it can't be a favorite for you!