Macaroni and Cheese Soup

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Macaroni and Cheese SoupMacaroni and Cheese Soup

IMG_2563INGREDIENTS:

1 cup elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons of olive oil
⅔ cup of chopped carrots
⅔ cup of chopped celery
⅔ cup of chopped onions
2 cups of heavy cream
1 ½ cups of milk
1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of water
1 8oz can of creamed corn

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cook 1 cup of macaroni according to package directions and set aside.
  2. In a pan on medium heat, saute’ carrots for 2 minutes. Then add celery, onions, and saute’ all ingredients for 5 minutes.IMG_2568
  3. In a large pot on medium heat, combine heavy cream, milk, and cheese. Constantly stir until cheese melts and add salt and pepper.
  4. Mix water and corn starch until smooth and add to milk and cheese mixture.
    IMG_2569 (1)
  5. Cook until mixture thickens and starts to boil.
  6. Stir constantly while adding sauteed vegetables, creamed corn and cooked macaroni.
  7. Cook until thoroughly heated and serve hot.

Yields 8 servings

 

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‪Easy, Cheesy Beef and Noodles #‎goodcookcom #‎goodcookkitchenexprt ‪#‎KitchenDrawerContest

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 Disclaimer- This post was sponsored by Good Cook as part of the Kitchen Expert Blogger program.  I received the items mentioned below to facilitate my post but all opinions are 100% my own.

beef

Good Cook challenged bloggers to create a comfort food, easy dinner dish and gave us each 5 tools to choose from to incorporate using at least 2 in our dish.
good cook toolsHere’s what we received:  SMART Ice cream scoopFlip Measuring spoonSafe-cut Can OpenerEgg Separator, and Pot Clip Holder.  I love all these tools but for this recipe I used the Flip Measuring Spoon, Safe-cut Can Opener, and Pot Clip Holder.

This is a simple recipe that definitely has that comfort food feeling.   There aren’t a lot of spices and seasonings in it as I was making it for my family and my children like food to be pretty simple.  If I was just making it for my husband and myself I would add some other spices.  Instead hubby and I tend to add things to our own plates.  For this particular dish hubby and I both added Italian bread crumbs to our meals to give it a little more flavor.

Easy, Cheesy Beef and Noodles @ThisIsCoriEasy, Cheese Beef and Noodles
Serves 6

Ingredients-
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 package of wide egg noodles- COOKED
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 Tablespoons of dried chopped onion ( Hubby forgot to get the onion when he went grocery shopping so I pretended like I was on Cutthroat Kitchen and used what I had on hand)
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of corn (feel free to throw in other veggies your family likes.  I want to try adding spinach next time)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions-

1. Brown ground beef with dried onion and Italian seasoning and drain.
Easy, Cheesy Beef and Noodles @ThisIsCori

2. Add corn. 
P12200943. Add cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup.
P12200954. Add sour cream.
P12200995. Stir until well incorporated.
P12201006. Simmer covered for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
P12201027. Stir in cooked noodles.
P12201038. Stir in 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
P12201069. Allow cheese to melt and serve.
P1220108

Can you guess what I used each tool for?  I used the Flip Measuring Spoon to measure my seasoning and chopped dried onion (I LOVE how flexible the spoons are and how you can turn them inside out) , Safe-cut Can Opener to open the can of corn and pull the pull tab up on both cans of soup (a real nail saver plus the can opener leaves no rough edges), and Pot Clip Holder to hold my utensil so I didn’t have to dirty my stove or counter with it.

Easy, Cheesy Beef and Noodles @ThisIsCori

P1220093P1220087

The Build Your Kitchen Drawer Sweepstakes:

Starting June 2, you can build your ideal kitchen drawer with 15 Good Cook tools and gadgets from GoodCook.com – choose up to 15 items from the list of products, and you have a chance to win everything you choose!

Make sure you take a look at Good Cook’s facebook page from June 2-7 to win prizes and learn more about the Kitchen Drawer Event (#goodcookcom) PLUS during the promotion, everything on the Good Cook site will be 25% off!  There’s NO CODE NEEDED!!!  What a great time to buy yourself some new kitchen tools and they make great gifts, too!


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Easy Baked Potato Soup

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potato soup

If you saw my Blendtec Blender review post then you probably saw some of the delicious things I have been able to make with my Blendtec Blender including Broccoli Cheese Soup and Chocolate Mixed Nut Butter.  Here is one of my favorite recipes that I’ve made so far and it is a new family favorite, too!
Enjoy!

Easy Baked Potato Soup- (adapted from the Blendtec Fresh Blends Cookbook)
2 cups milk, warmed
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light sour cream
1 green onion, chopped (the recipe says trimmed and halved because the blender will chop it anyway but I chopped mine to reserve some to top my soup)
3 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, baked or boiled
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Add milk, sour cream, 3/4 of the green onion, 2 oz of the cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and 1 baked potato in the jar in the order listed.  Secure lid.  Select the SOUPS setting and blend.  Add the second potato and 3 slices of bacon.  Press PULSE 2-4 times to incorporate the new ingredients.  Pour soup into bowls and sprinkle the top of the soup with the remaining 1 oz of shredded cheddar cheese.  Add a dollop of sour cream in the center of the bowl.  Top with remaining bacon crumbles and reserved green onion.

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Blendtec Blender Review Including Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

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Thank you for visiting Cori's Cozy Corner! Please make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our E-mails!

Disclosure- I received samples of the product(s) mentioned below to facilitate my review but all opinions are 100% my own.

blendtec
First let me start by saying how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE this blender.  I received a Designer Series BLENDTEC Blender with WildSide Jar as well as the Twister Jar.  I never realized just how much I would use a blender and how much I would come to rely on it in such a short time.  The Blendtec does everything from sauces and dressings, smoothies, ice cream (YES, ICE CREAM!) and frozen yogurt, milk shakes, whole food juicing, and it even makes hot soups and fondue’s.

It is so sleek looking and looks great on my kitchen counter.  It does not have any raised buttons to get dirty which is a plus in my kitchen.  The control panel buttons light up when you turn the blender on.  There are six different symbols on the blender control panel making it so easy to use.  There is a button specifically for smoothies so all I need to do is put the ingredients, in close the lid, and press the smoothie button.  The blender will blend the smoothie at the right speed and for the right amount of time for when I’m making.  There is also a setting for crushing ice or making milkshakes.  There is a button to make ice cream and frozen yogurt.   The button that looks like a whisk is to make batters, sauces, dips and dressings.  The button that looks like a citrus fruit with a drop of juice is the button to press when you want whole juice.  My absolute favorite button of all is the one that sets this blender apart from most other blenders.  It looks like a steaming bowl and it makes hot soups, syrups, and fondues.  No matter what the recipe, there are three steps to a perfect blend- add the liquids first, the solids in the middle, and the frozen items on top.  That’s all there is to it.  The blender came with the Fresh Blends Cookbook that had lots of delicious recipes to get me started and they also have lot of BLENDER RECIPES on their website but you are only limited by your imagination.

control panel
The control panel on the Designer Series Blendtec Blender also allows you to completely control the speed of the blender.  By placing a finger on the slider and dragging to the right you can increase the speed of the blender.  When you slide your finger to the left you can decrease the speed.  You can also touch anywhere on the slider strip to go straight to any desired speed.  It is just so easy and intuitive to operate.

blender
In trying to eat healthy with my family I have been trying to use a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables in my cooking. The blend Tech blender has really helped with this.    I start off by making healthy smoothies in the morning with frozen fruits, fresh greens like kale and spinach, some ice cubes, and sometimes a little yogurt or Greek yogurt.
potato soup
Later in the day I have been able to make several varieties of fresh, homemade soup for my family that we are all enjoying.  Plus a benefit of having soup before our meal means we fill up on the fresh soups with vegetables and get full faster.  I have made tomato basil soup, broccoli cheese soup, and my family favorite, baked potato soup.  It was so simple to make.  I precooked the potato and bacon and warmed up the milk on the stove.  Then all I had to do was add all of the ingredients into the blender and press the soup icon. It really was that easy.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was.  Check out the recipe linked below.

pasta sauce
Soup has become a first course for many of our dinners lately but I have used the Blendtec throughout all of our meals.  I was so proud of myself for making fresh, homemade tomato sauce to serve my family. There is a recipe for making fresh pasta dough included in with the Twister Jar that I plan to tackle soon. It is made from one egg, some water, spinach, and whole wheat flour. I like that I’ll be able to make fresh whole-wheat spinach pasta from scratch to feed my family. That is not something I would have never thought to do or been able to do before I received the blender.  As I said, I’m trying to have my family eat healthier so I’ve been able to make lower calorie versions of our favorite salad dressings with the Blendtec.  There is a recipe in the cookbook that came with the blender for a garlic blue cheese dressing that is really delicious and only has 20 cal and half a gram of fat per 2 tablespoon serving.  It is nice and creamy and goes well on salads as well as using it as a dip for chicken nuggets or a spread for sandwiches.

nut butter
Chocolate hazelnut spreads are very popular these days but they are loaded with fats and preservatives.  I was able to use the Twister Jar to make my own version that was much healthier.  The recipe is linked below.

Is it is cold in other parts of the country, but right now it’s hot here in Florida so my girls love coming home from school and having a cold treat. We throw some frozen fruit with some frozen 100% fruit juice into the blender to make a healthy sorbet. Sometimes we throw frozen bananas into the blender with some other goodies like chocolate chips, to make a healthier version of ice cream.

The blender is so easy to clean by simply adding a little soap and water and pressing the pulse button for a few seconds.  I find myself using the blender so many times throughout a meal because it’s so easy to clean in between each thing that I’m making.  Every day I find a new use for my Blendtec. I love that will grind up grains, grind raw meat for things like meatballs, shredded cooked meat for chicken salad or pulled pork, make doughs for breads and pizza, make homemade bread crumbs, and let’s not forget all the delicious frozen cocktails that it can make.  This is not your mother’s blender although I know once my mother sees what mine does she’s going to want one too.  I love that it is great for a novice cook, a busy mom who is trying to learn how to cook healthier for her family, and even for experienced cooks.  I truly believe that my Blendtec is helping me be a better cook.  I have been making so many things from scratch that I never would have even thought to make before.

Mother’s Day is coming up very soon. When your family asks what you would like, make sure to tell them you would like a Blendtec Blender.  You can choose from either of two different BPA-free jar styles.  The Four Side Jar measures up to 32 fluid ounces with the volume of 74 fluid ounces.  This jar is great for smaller recipes such as sauces dressings and nut butters.  The jar I received is the Wild Side Jar.  It is a five sided jar that measures up to 36 fluid ounces with the volume of 90 fluid ounces. This jar has a larger base which increases surface area.  The fifth side offsets the blending vortex, resulting in improved blending performance and reduced possibility of an air pocket forming above the blade. This jar is great for larger recipes as well as yeast breads quick breads and frozen desserts. The vented gripper lid and insert on either of the jars allows steam to escape while blending warm contents.  The inner insert makes it easy to add ingredients while blending.  The additional Twister Jar is great for thick recipes such as nut butters, hummus, baby foods, dips thick shakes, sauces, and so much more.  It comes with a special twister lid that features tines to pull dense food away from the walls of the jar and into the center of the blending vortex.  It also comes with a Spectacula, which is a specialized utensil with a contoured shape to fit inside the twister jar and scrape out every last bit.

broccoli cheese soup

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup-
1 head of broccoli (about 4-5 cups chopped into florets)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used chicken because that is what I had on hand)
3 oz shredded cheddar cheese (reserve a bit to top the bowls of soup)
1 cup heavy cream (or milk to keep it lower in calories)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

Steam broccoli in microwave until tender and reserve 1 cup.  Put the remaining broccoli, stock, heavy cream (or milk), cheddar cheese (reserving a bit to top the bowls of soup), salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the Blendtec Blender.  Secure the lid and blend using the SOUP setting.  Chop remaining broccoli into desired size pieces depending on how smooth or chunky you like your soup.  Add broccoli to the blender and pulse at low speed for 1-2 seconds to mix the soup.  Pour into bowls and top with remaining cheese.  Enjoy!

Want more recipes using a Blendtec Blender?
potato soup
Check out my Bake Potato Soup recipe post.  

nut butter
Don’t miss my Chocolate Mixed Nut Butter post.

I’ll add more recipes using my Blendtec Blender as I make them.

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25 Soup and Chili Recipes

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 25 Soup & Chili.fw (1)Just in time for the colder months (although it is still pretty hot here in Florida) here are 25 tummy warming soup and chili recipes:

  1. Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

  2. Homemade Spaghettios

  3. Chicken Fajita Soup

  4. Loaded Baked Potato Soup

  5. Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana

  6. Slow Cooker Crawfish and Shrimp (EASY)

  7. Thick & Hearty Chili Recipe

  8. Ham & Bean Soup

  9. Homemade Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

  10. Freezer Friendly Recipes: Chili

  11. Broccoli Cheese Soup

  12. First Place Chili

  13. Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

  14. Easy Gumbo

  15. Ground Chicken Four Bean Chili Recipe

  16. Pumpkin Chili & Cornbread

  17. Slow Cooker Potato and Ham Soup Recipe

  18. Beef Goulash Recipe for Frugal Budgets

  19. Butternut Squash Sausage Soup

  20. Spicy Bean Soup Recipe w/ Randall Beans

  21. Easy Chili Recipe

  22. Tomato, Mushroom and White Bean Soup Recipe

  23. Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup with Classico Tomatoes

  24. Apple French Onion Soup Recipe

  25. Hambone & White Bean Soup

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