Little Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 4 or so in Time: 45 mins.

1/4 C. butter
1/3 C. flour
Dash pepper
2 C. chicken broth
1 C. milk
2 C. cooked, cubed chicken
1 C. frozen peas
1 (16 oz) bag frozen stew vegetables
1 can Grands flaky layer biscuits

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and pepper, stirring constantly for about a minutes until smooth. Add chicken broth and milk. Stir constantly until smooth, combined, and bubbly. Add chicken, vegetables, and seasoning as desired. Heat until vegetables are hot and soup is bubbly.

-Spoon into greased individual dishes. I used three 2-cup Pyrex bowls and two 4-cup Pyrex bowls.

-Stretch biscuits until they cover or nearly cover the chicken and vegetable mixture in each bowl. For the smaller bowls, I used one biscuit and for the larger bowls I used two and a half biscuits each. Cut an X in the top of each biscuit. Bake uncovered for 17-20 minutes.

Notes: This is adapted from the Individual Chicken Pot Pie recipe at Pillsbury . The original recipe called for 8 (10 oz.) ramekins for the baking/serving dishes. I couldn't find them anywhere, as apparently they are a specialty item. Also, I added a little extra flour to the liquid mixture until it reached my desired thickness, but probably less than a Tbsp, so I didn't include it in the recipe. I cut the potatoes in the frozen vegetables because they were quite large, but I had to wait until they were warm enough--do this at your own risk, I am lucky I didn't stick my hand in boiling gravy. I had cooked the chicken in some minced garlic and a few spices, but the gravy turned out kind of bland; I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg to it so I can't figure this out. If anyone can suggest other spice combinations to try, I would appreciate it! Otherwise, this was a great little dinner and provided a few but not too many leftovers.

Carrot Chowder

Serves: Many in Time: Varies

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 C. onion, chopped

1/2 C. celery, chopped

1/2 C. green pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1 quart (32 oz.) tomato juice

2 1/2 C. shredded carrots (approx. 4-5)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 C. water

3 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. butter, if desired

2 cans condensed cream of celery soup

sliced swiss cheese, as desired

-Brown ground beef, onion, celery, green pepper and salt in a skillet.

-Meanwhile, combine carrots, pepper, garlic powder, water and tomato juice in a large pot or a slow cooker.

-Add browned ingredients to pot, combine, and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 15-20 mins or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

-Simmer covered on stovetop or in slow cooker as long as desired. Add cream of celery soup to desired thickness and bring back to a boil. Scoop into bowls and top with whole slices of swiss cheese until cheese is melted.

Notes: We brown the ground beef and vegetables in the 1/4 tsp. of butter. Also, we love this with breadbowls. I haven't tried it in a slow cooker, but might do that next time.

Easy Ham and Bean Soup

Mason and I really liked this recipe. It was quick and easy. Other than chopping, I did everything else while the vegetables were cooking and threw it together at the end. Next time, I'll probably use cornbread instead of dinner rolls with it.

Serves: 6 in Time: About 35 mins

2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 C. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
2 C. diced ham
4 C. chicken broth
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper

-In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion and saute until vegetables are tender (this took 15-20 mins for me.)

-Add all other ingredients and cook until heated through, about 15 more minutes.

Tortilla Soup

Serves 7 in 4 hrs. 15 mins

1 can (16 oz.) vegetarian refried beans
1 can (15 oz.) reduced sodium black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 C. frozen corn
3/4 C. chunky salsa
3/4 C. chicken, cooked and cubed
2 C. hot water
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 bag tortilla chips
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

-Combine beans, corn, salsa, chicken, water, and bullion cubes in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.

-Add half of the cheese. Stir until melted.

-Serve topped with remaining cheese and crushed chips.

This recipe was originally from Fix It And Forget It Lightly, but I have gradually mutilated it enough that I feel it's mine. Everything in the cookbook is supposed to be healthy, but I take it one step further when I purchase the beans. Also the fat-free shredded cheese doesn't melt in this, so unless you're okay with that, you might want to pass on it. We've been known to add a little reduced-fat sour cream to change things up as well. Overall, though, this is a cheap and easy meal that turns out to be a fairly hearty soup. It's also easy for me because I usually have all this stuff on hand. Oh, and I never buy canned chicken broth, but if that's what you have, the recipe calls for 1 can (14 oz.) of broth and 1/4 C. water.