Quick & Easy Weeknight Cheater Meal

Sourdough bread bowl filled with creamy tomato soup, and a grilled cheese sandwich on the side:


So this isn't exactly a 'recipe', but I still thought everyone would appreciate this quick meal idea. It's perfect for a night that you work late, or you'r just getting home from an out of town trip, or when you've been out doing errands all day, or when you find out at the last minute that your husband invited guests over when you didn't have anything planned yet ;) ... etc. 


There's no cooking, really, and it is actually quite gourmet looking and tasting!


Stop at the market on your way home and buy just three things, then assemble at home and voile- a very 'gourmet' dinner in no time at all!


Shopping List:

• Individual-sized round loaves of Sourdough bread, 1 per person (they have them at Trader Joe's, they are also at the bakery of your supermarket)
• Creamy Tomato soup, I LOVE the "Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato" soup that comes in a carton from Trader Joes (I've tried to home-make it, but it hasn't passed the taste test yet. Once I hit a version that's worthy I will share it with you... but for now- it still needs tweaking, so store-bought it is!)
• Muenster Cheese, (or your favorite variety for grilled cheese sandwiches)
• (If you don't have some salad makings at home, you can also grab a bag of spinach or a pre-made salad to serve on the side)

Visualize a circle on the top of your bread loaf, and cut out a cylinder from each bread loaf to create a bread bowl. 

*Helpful Hint: Don't point your knife straight down. Instead, hold your knife at an outward angle to slice along the outsides of the bread loaf... get it? I feel like that might be confusing... Basically, the bottom of the bread "cork" you pull out will be bigger than the top of it. 

Also, be cautious not to puncture through the bread.

Using your hands, pull the bread "cork" out carefully so as not to squish it too. much. Take this cylinder of bread and trim up the rough bottom, then slice it into round slices of bread for making the grilled cheese sandwich.

Toast the bread bowl in the oven. While the bowls are toasting, heat the soup in a pot on the stove, and lightly butter your sourdough bread slices and grill them in a frying pan on each side before adding the slice of Muenster to make a very 'gourmet' grilled cheese :)

Grate a little Asiago or Parmesan on top,

and in only about 5-10 minutes, you have a very simple yet impressive meal :)

Look at how yummy that is when the soup slowly soaks into the soft, warm insides of the bowl!

Serve with a spinach side salad for a well-rounded meal.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

*(Download the app "Tortilla Soup Surfer"...see story at bottom of this blog :)

When I made this big pot of soup, I served Peter a hot bowl and then ladled myself a bowl to photograph for this blog. I took my photo, but when I came back to sit with him he was already slurping up his last little bit! He headed over to the stove to fill his bowl again, and was quite excited to see that there was such a big pot for more servings. Needless to say, I think I scored points with him tonight :)

For the new year, Peter's work is offering a new company wellness campaign. Now Peter is actually going out of his way to count how many cups of fruits and veggies he is eating daily!!! I am so stoked- I have our produce bowls FULL of options for him :) In addition to being SO delicious, this tortilla soup has got a ton of good veggies for you too! It is definitely 'new year resolution approved' :)


I have been dying to make Chicken Tortilla Soup soup lately and this soup was absolutely what I was hoping it would be. It was so satisfying. This soup has it all; it's substantial yet light... it has got the hardy nutrition in all of it's ingredients yet it's all steeped in a light broth. Even though it's perfect to warm up with soup in the wintertime, this one would be appropriate no matter the season or the weather since it includes lots of refreshing elements as well. Lime juice, cilantro, and sweet corn inside the soup offer a light complement to the hardiness of the meat and beans, while the avocado, onion, and other toppings add additional coolness to contrast the warmth of the mexican flavors.


Ingredients (yields 5 big bowls):

• 1 Onion, diced 
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 4 Chicken Breasts (or about 3 cups shredded from a whole chicken)
• 6 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos, NOT drained
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 can low sodium whole kernel Corn, drained
• 1 can low sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup Lime Juice
• 5 corn tortillas, cut into little strips
• Olive Oil
• 3 teaspoons Mexican Seasoning (you can use my seasoning blend *(see below), or a Taco Seasoning Packet, or just plain Chili Powder or WHATEVER Mexican seasoning you like) 

Topping Ideas: 

• Chopped Cilantro, Diced Avocado, Diced Tomatoes, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Queso Fresco, Sour Cream (or NF Plain Greek Yogurt), Lime Wedges, Diced Red Onion, Crumbled Tortilla Chips

*My Mexican Seasoning Blend: 1 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1/4 tsp McCormicks Seasoning Salt, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Cumin, 1/2 tsp Onion Powder, 1/8 tsp *Cayenne (*optional if you don't like spicy) 
...this will make enough for this recipe, plus some leftovers to use for tacos or for the next time you make this tortilla soup

(If you are using a whole cooked or rotisserie chicken, you can disregard this step and skip straight to sautéing the veggies).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag with a healthy drizzle of olive oil- seal bag and work with hands to coat chicken with oil. Use tongs to place chicken breasts out on a foil-covered baking pan. Sprinkle tops with 1 tsp seasoning. Bake 10 minutes, then flip chickens and sprinkle other side with 1 tsp seasoning- return to oven for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. Shred chicken with 2 forks- pulling with the grain of the chicken fibers.

Sauté Veggies: 

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat to sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic until onion is translucent and slightly browned (about 5 minutes or so). Then add 1 tsp of seasoning, continue to sauté for another minute or so.

Add the seasoned shredded chicken breasts (or 1-2 tsps seasoning with shredded chicken from a whole cooked chicken). Stir together in pot.

Add 6 cups chicken broth, one can of tomatoes w/ jalapenos (plus all liquid from can), tomato paste, drained corn, and drained black beans. Stir and allow to simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

After your soup has simmered. Turn off heat, stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and tortilla strips.

Serve hot

And don't forget the toppings! 

The avocado adds a cool creaminess -both in texture and flavor- that is superb with the warmth of other flavors in this soup. A topping of cilantro adds a sharp freshness. A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt could also add some coolness to compliment this soup and could be stirred in with some cheese to make your bowl creamier and thicker if desired. Red onion would also add some fresh crispness, and crumbled crunchy tortilla chips are an absolute must!

'Tortilla Soup Surfer' story: 
I'm sure every boy who plays video games has dreamed up his own game. Well our friend, Trevor, actually got that dream to come to life. He works for a creative design & development company called 'JLoop'.  Recently, JLoop decided to develop their employee's dream into a real game. Trevor's game is called "Tortilla Soup Surfer". Search for it in the app store of your smartphone or iPad/tablet. The object of the game is for you to help the veggie 'surfers' in the bowl of tortilla soup to score as many points as possible before they have to escape from the bowl... or else they are slurped up for dinner!  :)

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

This is a hearty, warming, winter meal. It just doesn't get any better than that... actually, it does- because you don't even have to cook it! Just dump it all in the crock pot and it cooks itself!  You can be at work all day, or be out Christmas shopping all day, and walk into an inviting & delicious smelling house at the end of the day. All you have to do is turn it on and walk out the door :)


This is a one pot meal, unless you decide to make the extra gravy... which is SO worth it. Just one extra pan and 5 extra minutes for that extra special homemade taste.


This roast tastes just like the pot roast Nana used to make in her pressure cooker. I used to LOVE it when she made her pot roast with tender roast veggies :) So comforting and warming. 


Recipe (serves 4-5): 
3-4 whole Carrots, chopped (or about 2 cups baby carrots)
1 medium white, yellow, or brown Onion, chopped
2-3 cups Baby Potatoes, or chopped Russet Potatoes
2-3 stalks Celery, chopped

3 lbs Beef (any "chuck" or "round" cut)

1 envelope of Dry Onion Soup mix

1 cup Boiling Water

1 cup Red Wine

*optional for Gravy: 1 Tbsp Butter, 1 Tbsp flour

Place all chopped veggies in bottom of slow cooker. 

Lay meat on top of veggies. 

Mix dry soup mix into 1 cup boiling water, pour over meat along with 1 cup red wine. 

*Just like with Beef Bourguignon, tougher (less fatty) cuts of meat are cheaper, healthier, and PERFECT for long, slow cooking. As the meat cooks for hours in the liquid, the tough collagen is converted to a gelatin and the meat becomes tender and soft. 
Don't waste your money on expensive fatty cuts of beef; opt for 'chuck roasts' or 'round roasts'. If you have any questions, ask the butcher in the supermarket- they are super friendly. 

Fit lid on top, and turn on low for 8 hrs (or high for 4 hours)

When you are ready to eat, whip up a quick gravy to go with it and everyone will think that you spent all day in the kitchen making this roast. 

Start the gravy by making a roux: Using equal parts butter and flour, melt one Tablespoon or so of butter in a pan, add 1 Tablespoon or so of flour; Cook for no more than a minute, whisking constantly: 

Add liquid from the crock pot (about 2-3 cups). Let simmer, whisking frequently: 

(no need to season it, all of the juices from the pot are seasoned and flavorful already)

When the gravy has thickened to your liking (don't forget, it will thicken even more after it has been removed from the heat, so it's probably done after about 5 minutes- don't sit forever waiting for it to thicken)

Plate the roast and veggies...

(look at that TENDER meat falling apart!)

 and pour gravy over the top...

VOILA!!! It's almost like a shortcut for beef bourguignon!

OPTIONAL: If you want to get a little extra special, just invest a couple minutes on the meat before it goes in the crock pot:

• Sear the outside of the meat on all sides until dark brown.
• Then continue all other steps exactly the same, and use that searing pan again later when you make the gravy to get all the extra yummy browned bits into your gravy :)

Beef Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon was made well known in America by the famous Julia Child. It is a comforting, warm, meaty stew whose French name translates in English to "Beef Burgundy", but is most commonly known as 'Beef Bourguignon' (half English, half French). As the name hints, the beef braises in red wine (the 'burgundy' from the Burgundy region of France) over an extended period of time. This cooking method tenderizes the meat so much that it is possible to use a very cheap, tough cut of meat that would otherwise be undesirable. Because this beef stew worked so well with cheaper cuts of meat, it was classically the "poor man's" stew in France. Now it is just a great hearty meal; perfect for a chilly day when you want to come home and make the house smell warm and yummy and fill your tummy!


Shopping List (for 3 servings)

• 1 lb raw Beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 large Yellow Onion, roughly sliced (or a large handful of pearl onions)
• 3 large Carrots, sliced into medallions
• 3 small Potatoes, cubed (or mushrooms)
• 1 teaspoon of minced Garlic
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 1 cup Red Wine
• 1 can Green Beans, drained (or peas)
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
• Seasonings of your choice: I just used black pepper and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme, and it was very flavorful, but you can add any seasonings you like; some other traditional bourguignon herbs are parsley and bay leaves.

(no added salt necessary as beef broth is already salty)

Typically, beef bourguignon starts by browning bacon and then sauteing the beef cubes in the rendered bacon fat. However, I have (obviously) skipped the bacon fat step. Instead, start by heating a tablespoon or so of oil in a wide dutch oven. When it is very hot (almost smoking), add your cubes of beef, and brown on all sides.
**Note, your oil needs to be very hot before you add the meat so that you can sear and brown the outsides and keep moisture inside that will cook tenderly as it braises in the stew later.

Add the beef broth, wine, minced garlic, and herbs/seasonings. Stir well. 

Bring to a boil, place lid tightly on pan, then turn heat to LOW. 

Let it simmer, covered and over LOW heat for 1 hour:

After 1 hour, you will have a thick, rich, flavorful base for your stew. Add your carrots, onions, and potatoes at this time:

Cover again, and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or so (until your veggies are tender):

After your root veggies have simmered and softened, add the green beans for about 5 minutes (until they are heated through):

Mix corn starch into 2 tablespoons of water and whisk into a clearing of the stew broth. Carefully stir stew all together and let it simmer for about 5 minutes so that the broth may thicken a bit.

Beautiful! And it smells SO good too!

Serve with warm crusty bread

...and ENJOY this filling, tender, warming GOODNESS!

Alterations: You can use... 

• Pearl onions instead of sliced onions
• Peas instead of green beans
• Mushrooms as an additional veggie
• Whatever else you like! -Comment below to share your ideas :)

BIG Pot of Sweet Chili

This recipe is something that was just kind of made up one night at college after studying numerous chili recipes online. I had never made chili before, but I was so excited that I made a couple BIG pots of it and invited about 20 people over for dinner and an evening of games. Unfortunately, because I had never made chili before, that night was the spiciest chili I had ever eaten! That was one of my earliest lessons that I learned the risks of experimenting with new recipes for the first time when company is coming over... especially for such a large group. 

Here is a picture of some of us playing 'night tag' after that chili dinner 4 years ago. The boy in the far back with his hands up- the one in the black sweatshirt that almost disappears into the night sky- that is Peter. Who knew that almost 2 years later he would ask me out, and 4 years later, we would become husband and wife. How fun.


Luckily, that first experience didn't scare me away from chili, and I've made it about ten dozen times since then. I can now confidently say that you will not burn off your tongue anymore. In fact, I now have several different versions depending on who I'm cooking for. For example, if I'm cooking for Peter and I and our friends, we like it with a little kick. But for a very large diverse group, I will keep it sweet and mild. This time, my dad asked me to make it for his Super Bowl Sunday party. Because my mom can not stand ANY heat at all, I made an extremely mild and sweet chili version for their party. This is the version I will share with you today. If you want to kick it up a little bit, simply add more cayenne pepper. 


Shopping List: 

• 4 cans Stewed Tomatoes, approximately 15 oz each (I usually try to get some sort of 'zesty jalapeno' or 'mexican seasoning' version of stewed tomatoes, but really- it doesn't make a huge difference what type you choose)
• 3 cans Kidney Beans, approx. 15 oz each
• 2 cans Black Beans, approx. 15 oz each
• 1 can Whole Kernel Corn, approx. 15 oz each
• 2 large Onions, diced
• 2 large Bell Peppers, any color, diced (Green adds more color variety but tends to be a little more tart-smokey in flavor; Red has a much sweeter taste to it. I prefer the red bell peppers for this recipe, but I just get whichever is less expensive)
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced
• 1 lb meat 

**Nutrition Noteworthy: I usually use ground turkey, but you could use ground beef if you desire. Today I used ground Buffalo to give it a Super Bowl spin. Also, buffalo meat is extremely high in protein and yet very low in fat. A very healthy option :)

• 1/3 cup Ketchup (optional. Basically, this is a source of sugar and salt to flavor your chili. Sometimes I even forget to add it and it is delicious anyway. If you are watching your sodium levels, skip the ketchup. If not, it's a nice hint to boost the flavor)
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground Paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Powder, (if you like it a little spicy like I do, add 2 teaspoons)

**It is important to use a very large pot for this recipe. You will see later that the pot that I use here is just barely the perfect size. This was Nana's pot. I've mentioned in my bio that Nana is one of my big inspirations for playing in the kitchen. This was one of her big pots that I remember her cooking lots of meals in- except the knob was broken off the lid, so she used to use a hot pad to pinch the nubby screw that remained, in order to lift the lid. When Nana had passed, some appraisers went through her house to mark items of value, and chuck those with no value. After they had left, my mom saw Nana's pot in the dumpster; Mom recovered it and sent it to me at college. It is one of my most valuable possessions. For quite a few years, I used it just like Nana- pinching the screw to lift the lid. I recently found a 'Le Creuset' knob that screwed right onto the existing hardware! One man's trash is another man's treasure... and what a treasure it is...

(you can't see through the blinding glare behind the ingredients, but outside those windows, all the boys are playing a pre-Super Bowl game of Whiffle Ball. They have chalked lines, a pitchers mound, foul poles, ...they take their games very seriously. As Nana would say, 'boys will be boys!' :)

In your large pot, heat some oil  (today I will use grape seed oil- I will explain why at the end of this post) to saute all your diced fresh veggies. 

**Tip, when mincing Jalapeno, I hold the knife in one hand and on the other hand that handles the pepper, I cover it with a plastic sandwich baggy (like a glove) so that my fingertips won't burn for days (because they will- trust me!). Then just throw away the baggy along with all the seeds.

The key here is low and slow; over low heat, let these veggies slowly get soft and sweet. When the onions become transparent, then it is done. They should eventually look like this:

Then remove your veggies from the pot, and brown your meat over medium-high heat. (Sometimes I will add a little garlic powder or chile powder here, this time I didn't, but it doesn't hurt :)

Once your meat is all cooked, mix the veggies back in:

Then dump ALL of your canned ingredients, juices and all (do not discard the liquid!), and the ketchup and seasonings/spices:

Let it simmer over medium to medium-high heat, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. During this time, all the flavors and spices will marry together and condense into a more stew-like consistency. The somewhat transparent juices in the pot should eventually thicken and become homogenous and somewhat opaque. 

One time, I forgot to tell a *certain someone* to leave it uncovered so that some of the liquid could evaporate and thicken the pot... she wound up letting it simmer for a few HOURS and it came out very thin and soupy and she couldn't figure out why... so I'm telling you now, "leave your pot UNCOVERED while it simmers!"

I don't normally encourage people to 'stir the pot', but when making chili it is important that you do so, and all the way to the bottom -especially if you have your burner on the higher end of the heat spectrum. If you do not stir and scrape the bottom frequently, some of the thicker parts of the stew will bake and/or burn to the bottom of the pot. If you're lucky enough to have a little niece who loves to cook with you, then this part should be easy.   :)

See how thick and stew-y it has become!? mmmmm. You can even see the line that marks where the chili was, and how far down it is now. This can help you measure how much has evaporated. 

Serve it up...

...and watch it disappear!

*Suggestions: 

-My grandpa LOVES chili! And because he is living a 'heart healthy' lifestyle, I sometimes call this my 'heart healthy chili'. Here are some reasons that you too can enjoy this heart healthy recipe:

• Use low sodium canned ingredients
• No added salt
• Lean ground meats, such as turkey or buffalo
• I use grape seed oil for sauteing here, because it can withstand the cooking process better than other common oils. This is due to its higher 'flash point' (the point at which oil breaks down during heating). In nutrition terms, this means that it retains its health properties at higher cooking temperatures than do other oils. 
• Beans provide lean protein and are also a great source of fiber for the heart healthy diet.