Soup Day Saturday: Zuppa Toscana

As fall is coming in the northland. Many of us are donning our boots, scarves, and hats. Then we quickly run to the nearest coffee shop for our pumpkin flavored drinks. Why do we run there you ask. Jes went the other day and they were already sold out of the flavoring!

It was a beautiful day, 66 and sunny, but the morning was crisp and cold. Perfect soup making day. One family favorite recipe has come into our clutches within the last 10 years. This is an Olive Garden copy cat recipe. So worth it, don't even let the bits of kale scare you, seriously, best way to eat kale.

We used Baby Kale in this recipe, you can use whatever kind of Kale you have on hand. Target did not carry regular kale. If you use regular kale: Cut off the stem and rough chop.

This soup is a perfect weeknight soup that masks as a weekend soup. Elegant, delicious and EASY

Assemble your ingredients:
3 Cups Kale
1 Pound Italian Sausage, I use Spicy
6 Slices Bacon
1 Large Onion
2 Large Potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 C Heavy Whipping Cream
6 Cups Chicken Stock or 6 Cups Water and 3 TBSP Chicken Bouillon

Click here for the recipe:
Chop the onions, quarter and slice the potatoes, and mince the garlic.

 Cook us sausage until done

 Remove from pan, but leave droppings.

Chop 6 slices of bacon, you could cook whole and crumble at the end also. Cook bacon. Remove from pan and set aside, Leave drippings.

 Add onion to drippings, sauté until softened. Add garlic to onions and cook one addition minute.

 Add potatoes.

 Add water and chicken bouillon. Bring the soup to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Turn down the temperature to low and Simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the bacon and sausage.

 Add the kale and don't be stingy, it cooks down.

 Give it a stir

Add the cream.

 Simmer for 5 more minutes.

 Serve and enjoy!

Stay warm guys!
Andrea and Jes and the boys, helping us in the kitchen

Mark's parents came over for dinner tonight, and Mark wanted to make them a special dinner to celebrate the closing of the sale of their old house. I told him I would tackle the appetizer and dessert, if he would handle the dinner.

As we were walking through the grocery store, I noticed a great sale. Now, I can't pass up a great sale in the market, especially on meat, so I picked up this baby.

I have never used this before, but couldn't pass it up. I wondered what I could cook that would be fail proof if I didn't love the meat. Aha! I remembered a layered taco dip recipe I had gotten from someone in college. Now, the problem is, I can't remember who. So, to whomever gave me this recipe, I am so sorry for not giving credit.

Start by assembling your ingredients:

Layered Taco Dip

This is a savory, not too spicy dip that is sure to please. Can be eaten cold, but is best on the first day right out of the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb turkey or beef
• 1/2 taco seasoning packet
• 1/2 C Mayonnaise
• 1/2 C Sour Cream
• 1 8oz package of Cream Cheese
• 1 Can Refried Beans
• 8 oz Guacamole
• 1 C Shredded Cheese
• 2 Green Onions sliced
• 6-7 mini peppers sliced
• 1/2 C cherry tomatoes cut in half

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the meat on the stovetop until cooked through, season to your taste. In an 8x8 casserole dish layer: Cream Cheese Refried Beans Guacamole Mixture (1/2 C Mayo and 1/2 C sour cream, mixed in a separate bowl) Cooked and seasoned meat. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until heated through. Top with tomatoes, peppers, and green onions. Serve warm with chips.

Click HERE for a printable copy of the recipe.

I know you are saying... You missed the cheese in that picture, you are right, I did. It was absent on picture day, skipping to hang out in the fruit crisper, here it is.

And now the process:

Cook up the meat. If you are using unseasoned meat, go ahead and season it as well

 Cream Cheese

 Refried Beans: These are the easiest to spread if you plop them in like you would dumplings

Next a layer of Guacamole. I stopped taking pictures because nobody is winning points for pretty here. Just imagine the brown as green, then after the green white :)

After the guacamole, you are going to mix 1/2 C mayo with 1/2 C sour cream in a separate bowl, this will be your next layer.

Now we are ready for the meat. I only used half of a pound on my dip. Henry really liked this meat so I am saving the other half for his lunch tomorrow. This pan is 9X6, this recipe will work really well in an 8x8 pan or even in a 9x9 pan as well.

Cook at 350 for 25 minutes uncovered. While that is covering, you can slice up your vegetables.

Keep the peppers nice and thin so they are easy to eat, I find that the mini peppers can be a bit tough to bite through if they get to thick. I like to cut the cherry tomatoes in half for the top.

Once the oven time goes off, pull it on out.

Voila, heated through, and cheese is melted.

Tomatoes

Peppers

Green Onions.

Serve it up

There it is folks, bon appetite. This is a creamy, savory, and not too spicy dip perfect with chips. The vegetables on the top give it a colorful, crunchy texture.

As for the meat, it was okay. I prefer more spice with my taco seasoning. If you find a great deal, go ahead and grab it, throw it in something that it can't mess up. I won't search this product out myself in the future. Not bad, not great.

Enjoy!
Andi

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie by Andrea Weimer

This recipe is fabulously easy, and delicious too! Now, don't believe that this pie is going to taste and be just like a cheesecake, because that isn't going to happen. Think of this as a more french silk textured pie, with a cheesecake flavor. Believe me, if you like chocolate, you are going to like the light fluffy texture of this pie, especially paired with the hint of cheesecake flavor!

Total time, 15 minutes to make, 1 hour at least to chill in the fridge, you want this pie chilled!

This recipe is my spin off of the Chocolate Cheesecake Pie Recipe from the Taste of Home Website. 

Assemble your ingredients:

• 1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
• 1/4th C. Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract (I gave Jes a kit for Christmas years ago, she finally made it and it was delicious!)
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 1/2 Stick of Butter
• 1 8 oz package of Cream Cheese
• 1 1/2 C. Milk Chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli because if chocolate is the showcase of this recipe, it is going to be good chocolate.

In addition, I used 1 C of mini chocolate chips, whip cream, and my crunchy freeze because I love that stuff enough to put it on everything, and it really works well on the top of this pie.

 Measure and pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. You could do 30 seconds, stir, 15 more seconds, stir, 15 more seconds, if your microwave is really hot. One minute did it for me. 

 The chocolate may not look melted, if you put a spoon in it to stir and it melts like this picture, you are ready to stir.

Keep up the good work until your chocolate is smooth. Set this aside to cool a bit, not enough to harden but enough so that it doesn't melt the butter. 

Now take your softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar, beat this until smooth

Yes, this was delicious, no raw eggs so of course I taste tested! Once you have a smooth consistency, add your chocolate.

 I also added 1/2 C. of mini chocolate chips, I could have done full size, but I prefer the mini for texture of the pie. More pleasant to get a bite with those little ones in it.

This should look thick, don't worry, you didn't mess it up! Now fold in that cool whip

 This took the longest of any of the process, I had to keep folding to get the pie to fully mix but a little patience pays off here.

Fully mixed, alright! You are now ready to pour it into your crust.

Just scoop it all in, many thanks to my beautiful assistant Jes

Smooth it out, it doesn't have to be perfect

Decorate according to your taste. My whip cream was a little runny, this is real life so that is what you get a picture of, I wasn't making another one so it could be pretty! I sprinkled more chocolate chips on and added a bit of crunchy freeze.

Put it in the refrigerator to cool. At least one hour. At this time I ate an amazing meal made by my sister. This meal was bribery as she wanted me to help her put together an ikea dresser. 

Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, and zucchini boats, yes, it was worth the assembling. I got to play a bit with my nephew!

 And then, BAM, dessert!

 Thick, fluffy, yummy and oh so chocolaty goodness to finish off a meal!

Enjoy!

Andi