a yummy fall dinner

Tonight we had a really yummy fall dinner....soup and muffins! I would highly recommend both!

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder:
(This is what I order every time I go to Mimi's)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter(1/2 a stick)
• 6 tablespoons chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 2 1/2 cups hot water
• 2 cups cubed potatoes (1/2 inch pieces)
• 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 dash white pepper, or black
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart half and half cream

Directions

1. Melt butter in large saucepan. Once melted add celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes (not til brown, just til soft).
2. Add water, potatoes, corn, sugar, salt and pepper, making sure water covers everything, adding more if not covered completely. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, usually about 30 minutes.
3. Whisk flour into 1 cup of the half and half and then stir into soup.
4. Add remaining half and half and simmer until soup is thickened to a creamy consistency (usually about 15 minutes).
5. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if wanted. If the chowder is too thick, add some milk, if it is too thin, simmer for 5-10 minutes more.

Pumpkin Crumb Muffins:
(by my sister in law, Camie)

• 1 2/3 C. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 C. Libby's solid pack pumpkin
• 1/4 C. undiluted evaporated milk
• 1/3 C. shortening
• 1 C. packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in large bowl. In small bowl combine pumpkin and evaporated milk. Cream shortening and sugar in large mixer bowl. Add egg, beat until fluffy. Alternately add flour and pumpkin mixtures to shortening mixture; beat well after each addition. Fill muffin tins (greased) or paper lined cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle Streusel topping over muffins.

Streusel Topping:
Combine 2 Tbs. flour, 2 Tbs. granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 1 Tbs. butter until mixture is crumbly.

Bake in preheated 350 oven for 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Soups!

We had our Family Girl's Night Out last night. Our numbers were few... but we had yummy soups to enjoy and lots of laughs.
(I apologize for the horrid pictures... we were more concerned about eating than taking good pictures)
Here are the recipes:

Tomato Tortellini Soup

1 can chicken broth
8 oz. tortellini
1 can tomato soup
1/2 tub of chive & onion cream cheese

Boil tortellini in chicken broth until tender. In a separate bowl, using about 1/4 cup of the hot chicken broth, combine with cream cheese. Whisk until melted. Add tomato soup to tortellini. Pour melted cream cheese and broth back into soup. Stir all together.
Makes about 4 servings
**I recommend doubling the recipe to use the whole tub of cream cheese.

White Chicken Chili (Weight Watchers)

3 chicken breasts

1 lg. onion

1 can chicken broth

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. red pepper (we used a seasoned pepper)

Cook in a crock pot 4-5 hours. Shred or dice up chicken. Then Add...

2 cans great northern beans (white)

1 can shoe peg corn, drained

3 T. lime juice

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Cover and cook on low for an additional 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings

- The lime juice is an important part of this recipe, do NOT leave it out.

Potato Soup

• 5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups (2-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato
• 3 cups (2-inch) chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 cup fat-free milk (1%)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 can corn (optional)
• 2 cups chicken (optional)
• 3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

Combine broth, potato, and cauliflower in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Cool 10 minutes; stir in milk. Place one-third of potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth (or hand blender in pot). Pour pureed potato mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining potato mixture.

Return pureed potato mixture to pan; stir in chicken, pepper, salt, and corn. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon just before serving.

Beef Stew

This really isn't an exact recipe but a while ago I made a roast for dinner and knew we weren't going to eat the leftovers before we left on vacation, so I froze the meat and gravy. When we got home I threw it into the crockpot with some potatoes, carrots, celery, corn and peas and it turned out delicious!! The meat was even better the 2nd time around. Now I know not to waste any leftovers.

Zuppa Toscana

This recipe is from my collection of 'ward cookbooks'.
This soup is yummy and flavorful. It is similar to the Olive Garden's version.

(not that great of a picture, I apologize)

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb. Italian sausage
2 lg. russet baking potatoes - sliced in half, then in 1/4 inch slices and then quartered
1 lg. onion, chopped
6 slices cooked bacon crumbled (or bacon bits)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. kale, chopped well
1 qt. water
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Cook sausage in a 300 degree oven. Bake appox 30 minutes, drain on paper towels and cut into slices. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water and garlic in pot. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt and pepper (to taste) and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat. Add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.
Makes 8 servings.

**If I were to make this again, I would add less kale. I would also cook the kale longer, to soften it more.

Perfect for a chilly fall day! Enjoy!

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Background: I volunteered myself to be in charge of our new ward cookcook. Seriously, that's where the best recipes come from and I'm SO sick of the same things I make over and over and over again. Because of this "volunteering" task I've taken upon myself, I get to be the first to see all the fun recipes people are turning in! This recipe isn't from anyone in my ward though- it's from a sample cookbook I received from the company that will be printing our official Ward Cookbook and I thought it sounded yummy and easy.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUP
1 lg. head cauliflower
2 T. onion, minced
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can beef or chicken broth
3 c. milk
2 c. grater cheddar cheese
1/4 c. parsley (optional- but it adds color, so use it!)

Break cauliflower into small pieces. Cook covered in salt water until tender; drain. Meanwhile, saute onion in butter until tender. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches boiling point. Add cheese and stir until it melts. Add cauliflower and parsley. Heat to serving temperature.

We decided it's pretty much a broccoli cheese soup but with cauliflower. I'm not going to say it's the best soup I've ever had, but it was really quite tasty. My girls loved it!
We even cheated and cooked up a couple pieces of bacon and it gave it a fun flavor, but it's not necessary. When is bacon ever necessary though?

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."
- Doug Larson