22. Slow Cooker North Woods Wild Rice Soup

I tried a slow cooker recipe that I found on the Betty Crocker web site (www.bettycrocker.com)while I was looking for something else. Because I'm pressed for time, a slow cooker recipe seemed like a good idea. This one was especially easy because it was pretty much just a matter of throwing everything in the cooker and turning it on.

Slow Cooker North Woods Wild Rice Soup

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, diced (1 cup)
1 cup diced smoked turkey (6 oz.)
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 cups Progresso chicken broth (from 32 oz carton)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated fat-free milk
1/3 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 cup Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen sweet peas, thawed
2 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

1. In 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion in oil about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2. Place onion, celery, carrots, turkey, wild rice, tarragon and pepper in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Pour broth over top.
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hour or until wild rice and vegetables are tender. Stir in peas last 15 minutes of cooking.
4. Mix milk and flour; stir into soup. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until thickened.

Makes 6 servings

Changes and Shortcuts:No one in this family really likes peas so I substituted chopped broccoli. The only other change is that I didn't use the brand names that were in the recipe.

ResultsNot bad. The soup was a little thicker than I like. I think the soup would be fine without the turkey.

Keeper?I don't think so.

45. Swiss-Broccoli Soup

Broccoli and cheese always go well together. This recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Soups and Stews Cookbook uses Swiss cheese instead of the usual cheddar. There are just a few ingredients and a short cook time so the soup can be made quickly after work.


Swiss-Broccoli Soup

2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
1 10 oz package frozen cut broccoli
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded process Swiss cheese, (4 oz)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup all purpose flour

In saucepan heat bouillon granules in 1 ½ cups water till dissolved. Add broccoli, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or till tender. Add milk, cheese, nutmeg and dash pepper. Cook and stir till cheese melts. Combine flour and ½ cup cold water; stir into broccoli mixture. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Makes 4 to 6 servings.


Changes and Shortcuts: None

Results: One of the tricks to melting cheese smoothly into a sauce is to toss the shredded cheese in a little bit of flour before adding it to the liquid and keeping the temperature low. Well, I forgot both of these tips and just followed the recipe. As a result, I wound up with little bits of lumpy cheese in my soup. Today, I also saw a tip on the food channel for melting cheese into a sauce. Supposedly, cheese that is bought already shredded in a bag will melt more smoothly than cheese that you grate yourself. The secret is in the process that the cheese in the bag goes through. The soup tasted good though and was very easy to make.

Keeper? Probably

Broccoli-Cheese Corn Bread

This recipe is from the Taste of Home’s Fast Fixes with Mixes book. I’m not a fan of corn bread, but this one has lots of flavor—and lots of stuff in it to really make it tasty.

Broccoli-Cheese Corn Bread

4 eggs
½ cup butter melted
¾ teaspoon salt
1 package (8.5 oz) corn bread/muffin mix
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped

In a bowl, combine eggs, butter and salt. Stir in corn bread mix just until blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 11’ X 7’ X 2’ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Slice and serve warm. Yield: 12 servings. Note: to make muffins instead of bread, fill greased muffins cups three fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Yield: 1 ½ dozen.


Changes and shortcuts:
I thawed the broccoli the night before then placed it in a bowl lined with paper towel in the refrigerator. By the time I got home from work, the broccoli was ready to be cooked. Since I was chopping onion for the soup the night before, I also chopped the onion for the corn bread. I put a little less onion than the recipe calls for as we have someone who dislikes onions in the family. The 11 X 7 pan seemed awfully big, so I used an 8 X 8 pan.

Results:
Very good. I plan to make muffins the next time!

Keeper? YES!

51. Broccoli Wild Rice Soup

This is a great, quick, satisfying soup. Very few ingredients. The seasonings are already in the rice mix, which makes this very quick to throw together.


This recipe was found in the Taste of Home's Fast Fixes with Mixes cook book. (ISBN 978-0-89821-556-4, www.booksarefun.com).



Broccoli Wild Rice Soup

1 package (6 oz) chicken and wild rice mix
5 cups water
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
¼ cup slivered almonds, optional

In a large saucepan, combine rice, contents of seasoning packet and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in the carrot and onion. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in soup and cream cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in almonds if desired. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts)


Changes and shortcuts:
I forgot to pick up a box of frozen chopped broccoli when I was at the store, so I found some broccoli spears in the freezer, poured some out in a bowl this morning, and left them in the fridge to thaw today. While the rice and water were simmering tonight, I chopped the broccoli and shredded the carrot. I'm not a fan of dried onion flakes, so I also minced some fresh onion. I left the almonds out...didn't have any on hand and I'm not sure that we would like the crunch texture in this soup.


Result:
Good quick meal! For a vegetarian, I think this recipe would be good with cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of broccoli and a seasoned rice mix without chicken flavoring.


Keeper? Yes!