Simple Soup & Sandwich

Tomato Basil White Bean Soup & Grilled Cheese n Tuna Sandwich

This week we had a couple of days that were cold.  They were dreary, too.  They also contained the sound of "achoo" from me.  Wednesday evening an easy meal to prep at dinner was needed.  Hot soup with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich sounded really good!  Plain, simple, good! 

All of the ingredients for Tomato Basil White Bean Soup (recipe here) were found quickly.  As some of the ingredients including canned plum tomatoes cut in pieces, chicken broth, tomato sauce, Basil & Garlic Powder were simmering, my griddle pan was located.

Grilled Cheese on oatmeal bread is a fave here & sometimes I add tuna when making it - before grilling.  For a number of years, tuna packed in olive oil is our preferred choice.  Some of the oil is drained from the can, before mashing the tuna.  I skip adding the mayo here and just add the tuna into a sandwich.  Quite often when turning a Grilled Cheese n Tuna Sandwich over while grilling, a little tuna sneaks out onto my griddle.  No longer will that happen!

The magic?  Add a little shredded cheese into the mashed tuna before placing it on the bread slice.  The shredded cheese heats, melts and keeps the tuna together.  It's also a little extra cheese in the Grilled Cheese n Tuna Sandwich.  What a great taste!

It was so good along with the Tomato Basil White Bean Soup!  It was also very easy!

We did enjoy!

Yummy!

       

Prep It, Freeze It & Enjoy Again!

This week brings many activities!  That translates into dinner being "whipped up" quickly.  For me it's the perfect opportunity to remember the Ziploc Freezer containers of Sausage Soup waiting in our freezer.  One container placed in the fridge to defrost overnight works very well!  A can of 14.5 oz. of lower salt/low fat chicken broth is also needed when reheating the cold soup in a pot on the stove.  The Rice absorbed the liquid broth as the soup cooled - before freezing.

*Update:  Image added 1/11/13

I found it fascinating that while my container of Sausage Soup was in our fridge defrosting, other blogging friends/cooks were clicking on my recipe for this scrumptious, filling soup that I posted last year. (Click for link.)   Therefore...I'm posting the recipe, again!  :)

Last night a hearty bowl of this yummy soup along with sliced Rye Bread was quick, easy & oh so tasty!  Yes, it was in my freezer, but two weeks ago I made a pot of it using this easy recipe:

Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian Sweet Sausage - removed from casings
4 cans (14.5 oz. each) College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 can (14 - 20 oz.) Diced or Whole Tomatoes, drained
1 box chopped frozen Spinach, thawed
1 Cup White Rice, uncooked
1 lb. Baby Carrots (rinsed)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 pkg. (10 - 14 oz.) defrosted Green Beans - optional

Method:

1. Remove Sausage from casings and brown in skillet.
2. Break Sausage into pieces while it is browning.
3. Place all remaining ingredients into large pot or Dutch Oven.
4. Add browned Sausage.
5. Bring all ingredients to a simmer.
6. Simmer about 45-60 minutes until Rice has cooked.

*When reheating refrigerated or defrosted portions, a 14.5 oz. can of College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth is added to the defrosted contents while the soup reheats on my stove. The Rice has absorbed the liquid.

This is definitely a meal in a bowl!  (~No photo today.  A problem with the images.~)

Do you prepare this quick, easy & delicious soup?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

       

*It's great to have a "techie" husband! We worked through the image uploading issue today 1/11/13!  Woohoo!   

~Turkey a la King~

"Gobbles"

Do you have small pieces of roasted Turkey remaining in your fridge?  Enough to equal about 1 cup?  A package/box of frozen peas & carrots or mixed veggies in the freezer?  A partial loaf of bread?  Family members who are starved at dinner time?  If so, it's time for Turkey a la King!

After dining on Roasted Turkey with all of the trimmings on Thanksgiving Day and then Hot Turkey Sandwiches tonight, I always enjoy making this particular Turkey dinner for the third Turkey meal!  This past Tuesday was "my pie making day", so, no, I'm not about to roll out more dough for Turkey Pot Pies!  Turkey a la King is much easier and quicker to prepare.  It's also a delicious entree that even contains the veggies! 

Thanksgiving Day was great!  We enjoyed dinner, we chatted it up, we read stories and we also had Duplo construction going on.  "Gobbles" got exercise, too.   Now it's time to c-h-i-l-l!


Turkey a la King
served over Toasted Oatmeal Bread
along with an added Bonus- Thanksgiving Stuffing

Turkey a la King
Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Margarine/Butter (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken/Turkey Broth
      (I use College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Turkey chunks (cooked), cut up, more if desired
2 Cups Cooked Carrots & Peas (or Mixed Vegetables)
*   *   *   *
Sliced Bread, Toasted

Method:

1. Melt Margarine/Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour.
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth & Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5. Add cooked Turkey chunks.
6. Add in cooked vegetables.
7. Stir and heat mixture for 1 - 2 Minutes.
8. Serve over toasted Bread.

If I have a large amount of Roasted Turkey to use, sometimes I'll make a double batch and freeze half of the prepared Turkey a la King.  This makes for another quick delicious dinner after a busy day.  During the year, Chicken can be used rather than Turkey.

And yes, there is more Cranberry Sauce!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Just Remember the Cranberry Sauce!!!

Jellied Cranberry Sauce is a must on our Thanksgiving Dinner table, just like Gravy!!!  A dish of the wiggly sauce will also accompany the Hot Turkey Sandwiches that we will enjoy on Friday!  Yummy!   :)  Oh, definitely, there will be moments when our fridge door will open and a "small" slice of moisty roasted turkey will be enjoyed as a snack, just because ...

However, it is customary on the second day after Thanksgiving, we will dine on Turkey a la King for our main meal.  Small bits of turkey along with carrots and peas in a creamy milk sauce placed over toasted oatmeal bread.  It's a much easier version of Turkey Pot Pie.  Is it easy?  You might ask.  Oh, it's very simple to prepare.  And also quick!  Just remember the Cranberry Sauce!!!  

Turkey a la King
Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Margarine/Butter, melted (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken Broth (I use College Inn low fat, less salt.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Turkey chunks (cooked), more if desired
2 Cups Cooked Carrots and Peas
Toasted Bread

Method

1. Melt Margarine/Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour. 
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth and Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5.  Add Turkey chunks. 
6.  Add in cooked vegetables.
7. Stir and heat mixture.
8. Serve over toasted Bread. 

Enjoy!
Yummy!  
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Time for Sausage Soup!

There is a “special” on Italian Sausage in my local grocery store. Quickly, I envision a pot of thick, savoury, Sausage Soup simmering on my stove. This easy to prepare soup tastes great and smells so good on any chilly winter day! There are few ingredients and it is so easy to prepare.

SAUSAGE SOUP

Cook Time: About 30 - 45 minutes – I let it simmer longer.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage removed from casings

3 cans “College Inn” Light and Fat Free Chicken Broth (14 ½ oz. each)

1 cup White Rice

1 can Diced Tomatoes, (14 ½ oz.) undrained

1 box Chopped Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Method:
1. Brown sausage in a skillet after removing from casings. Break meat into pieces as it is browning.
2. Place cooked meat in large pot or dutch oven. Add chicken broth and heat.
3. Add in rice, tomatoes, chopped spinach and black pepper and bring to a simmer.
4. COOK 12-15 minutes or until rice is tender.

After dinner there will be many remaining servings in the pot. A couple of servings will be stored in my fridge. Fortunately, my freezer always has a little more space and this soup stores well in the freezer. After the extra soup has cooled, it will be placed in Ziploc Storage containers, labeled and then placed in my freezer.

The rice does absorb the liquid, so additional broth will be added before serving again.

Whenever we want another bowl of this hearty, colorful and scrumptious Sausage Soup (click here), I defrost the soup overnight in my fridge. Before heating, place the contents in a small pot along with about 10 oz. of additional Chicken Broth. More broth if desired. Reheat and it will be ready to eat.

Smells so good!
We always enjoy eating it!
Yummy!