Tasty Tuesday: Crockpot Tomato Tortellini Soup

I originally took these photos back in December.

Then pregnancy sickness hit and even looking at pictures of food made me want to throw up.

It was so sad! 

All I really wanted was gatorade, popsicles, in n out, and french fries. Awesome diet I know haha.

Once we got out of the first trimester I got my appetite back and found these pictures and was SO excited to post this recipe!

This is one of the easiest, if not THE easiest soup recipe, like ever.

Hunter also approves because it's definitely filling with tortellini and sausage... he's usually not a soup fan because he has to eat like 5 bowls to get full haha.

Crockpots are quite possibly the best invention ever.

And soup is the best meal when Utah decides to still be cold in March...

Enjoy friends!

Ingredients:

-32 oz chicken broth

-1 can diced tomatoes (even better if they're Italian style)

-3 cups tomato juice

-1 cup heavy whipping cream
-1/4 cup tomato paste

-1 pound mild Italian sausage

-1 bag frozen cheese tortellini

-1 bunch spinach

-1 tsp dried basil 

-1 tsp dried oregano 

-1 tsp garlic powder

-2 tsp garlic salt

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato paste, seasonings, and sausage to crockpot. (I've made this where I cook the sausage in a pan first, and I've made it where I add the sausage raw and let it cook in the crockpot. I think I prefer making it on the stove first but either way is good!) Stir it up and cook on low for 6 hours.

2) After six hours stir it again and add heavy whipping cream and tortellini. Recover and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until tortellini is no longer frozen and cooked. At this point I also taste the soup to see if I want to add any more salt or pepper.

3) Right before serving I add the spinach in and let it wilt. 

4) Serve in bowls with a good amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese  and crusty bread!

You guys that's literally all you do!

Technically the fourth step isn't even really a step so there's like 3 steps to this!

#winning

That's all from me today!

I sure hope you guys enjoy this simple yet tasty soup!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings

Today has been lame... Car problems, a million more stinky diapers than usual, and a whole ton of laundry...

But, we're breathing, have plentiful food, and running water... and today is Tasty Tuesday!

So, it can't be thattttt lame right?

I absolutely love a hearty chicken noodle soup, but there's something so warming about chicken and dumplings. 

I made this on our first snow this year and it warmed us right up!

I love creamy soups and this one is just that!

As much as I love summer, I think I may like soup season more ;)

Ingredients:

-3 cans chicken broth

-1 cup water

-1 cube chicken bouillon

-1 dried bay leaf

-1/2 cup cream

-2 cups shredded chicken

-1 package frozen peas and carrots

-salt

-pepper

Dumplings:

-1-1/3 cups flour

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-3/4 teaspoon salt

-2/3 cup milk

-1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

1) Pour chicken broth, water, bay leaf, and bouillon in a medium/large pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil.

2) In the mean time prepare your dumplings. Whisk together dry ingredients and form a hole in the middle like a volcano. Whisk together melted butter and milk then pour into the hole. Fold the dry mixture into the hole until everything is combined.

3) Drop dough by the spoonfuls into boiling soup. Cover and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. 

4) Take out your bay leaf and add in your shredded chicken. I cheated and used a rotisserie chicken from Costco but feel free to cook and shred your own chicken. Add in the frozen peas and carrots as well as about a tbsp salt and tsp pepper. Give it a good stir and let simmer covered for another 15 minutes. 

5) Mix in your cream and salt and pepper to taste. I always add more ;) You can serve immediately or let it sit for a few more minutes. Enjoy!

I have a few cookie recipes I'm excited to share with you guys!

However, I also have some fun healthier recipes I'm excited to share too. 

Those will probably come after the new year though ;)

Countdown til Christmas is on!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: Chili With A Kick (On a Wednesday)

Happy (late) Tasty Tuesday everyone!

Yesterday I threw an event that consumed my entire day so I wasn't able to get this recipe up, but the show must go on because I'm trying so hard not to skip a week!

So, here it is... just a little later than usual ;)

I have my white chicken chili recipe on here and that is hands down my favorite, but sometimes you just need a good hearty chili recipe in you life, right?

I always make chili on Halloween so I had to wait to post this until we ate it.

Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take pictures that day ha!

Sooo here's a really sad picture of the small cup of chili that was left.

I'm a believer in chili having a kick so I made sure this one has a good one.

Watch out though, your hand will burn if you don't use a glove when cutting jalepeno! (I learned that the hard way)

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 chopped yellow onion (or a little more, I love onion so I do more)

1 chopped green bell pepper

1 chopped red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, very finely chopped (this is optional but highly recommended)

3 tablespoons chili powder (opt for the hot mexican style if you want even more of a kick, this is what I always do. However if you only want a "semi" kick then just do one tbsp of the hot and 2 regular)

1 tsp garlic salt + a few dashes to taste

1 tsp garlic powder 

3 teaspoons white sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups tomato juice

1 can of chili ready diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 small cans diced green chilies 

1 can chili beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can yellow corn 

Fritos, shredded cheese, and sour cream to top it

Directions:

1. In a skillet with oil of your choice, cook your ground beef over medium high heat until no more pink is seen. Add in a dash of garlic salt while cooking. Chop onion, bell peppers, garlic, and jalepeno while it's cooking. Once it is cooked through, transfer the meat to your crockpot and leave the excess juices in the skillet.
2. Keep your heat on medium-high and add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and jalepeno to the same skillet. Stir occasionally and cook until onion is translucent. Don't brown your onion. Turn the heat off and add in your chili powder, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and garlic powder. Stir it all together until veggies are well coated.
3. Now add your veggie mixture on top of the ground beef. Next, add in your tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, green chilies, and corn. Give it a good stir and keep it on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4-5. Serve it nice and warm with lots of cheese, fritos, and sour cream!

There ya have it!

I'm so excited to make this when it's snowy outside!

Yes, I'm the freak that's excited for the snow ha!

I have a few more soups up my sleeve since it is soup season after all, and I can hardly wait to share them with you guys!

Now to go pick out my outfits for Pinners Conference this weekend!

Who else is going? I'd love to see you there :)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

First things first, I just want to say thank you to all of you that follow along with Tasty Tuesday and trust my recipes enough to feed them to your families!

It makes my day when I get an email, snapchat, or facebook message saying that you tried and loved a recipe. 

Seriously, it's the greatest!

I have loved cooking since I was a little girl.

Experimenting in the kitchen has always been a creative outlet for me and I just love sharing those creations with all of you!

So once again, thank you! :)

This week's recipe is the perfect fall soup!

Butternut squash reminds me a lot of pumpkin.

The way it feels, smells, and even tastes. 

However, I think butternut squash soup is quite a bit tastier than pumpkin soup ;)

I was pleasantly surprised that Hunter liked this recipe so much!

Especially since I just kinda went with it and hoped for the best ha!

I had to pair it with chicken because soup alone is not a meal to him, but he had two bowls!

I'll definitely be making it at least once more this fall and then I'll probably say see ya later to it and make it one of my seasonal dishes :)

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash ( I have no clue how much it weighed but compared to the others it was "medium sized")

-2 tbsp butter

-1/2 cup water

-1 large onion diced (please don't skip this! Even if you don't like onions, it gives the best flavor!)

-4 cups chicken broth 

-1 tbsp honey

-1/2 cup whipping cream 

-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

-1 dried bay leaf

-1/2 tsp dry thyme

-1/4 cup sour cream

-sunflower seeds

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While it is heating, split your squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and fibers just as you would a pumpkin.

2) Season meat of squash with a few pinches of salt and place skin side up in a lightly buttered glass baking dish. 

3) Place 1/2 cup water in the dish and bake the squash for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until skin is slightly browned in color and meat is tender when pierced with a fork. Seriously though, make sure it is really tender. 

4) Scoop meat out of skin and set in a bowl. Try so hard not to burn your hands during this step. If you have all day, just try to let it cool before handling. If you don't, try a cookie scoop!

5) In a large soup pot, add your butter until fully melted. In the mean time dice your onion. Once the butter is melted and onion is diced cook together until onion is translucent. Don't let the onions brown! Add in your thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and bay leaf.

6) Add squash and mush it all together. I used a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and make it easier on me. Add in a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste. I added about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper. 

7) Add in your chicken broth and honey once squash and onion are combined. Bring to a simmer and let simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. At this point you'll get the general taste so decide if you want to add any more salt and pepper. 

8) Remove the bay leaf and now puree your soup one half at a time in either a blender or food processor. My little blender worked just fine! (see if you're an onion hater, it doesn't even matter anymore!) While it's blending rinse out the pot and dry. The reason for this is strictly in case there are leftover chunks that will not work with the now pureed texture. 

9)  Once pureed, put the soup back in the pot and bring to a light simmer. Stir in your 1/2 cup of cream and nutmeg. Make sure to heat through. Add in some more salt an pepper to your taste. I always add a touch more ;)

10) Serve into bowls and garnish with a bit of sour cream (put in a ziploc and snip the corner to swirl) and some sunflower seeds!

Obviously this one is a bit longer than my usual weeknight meals.

I made this on a Saturday when Hunter was working all day and Oaks and I had nothing to do.

She loved helping me and licking all the spoons ;)

I saved it in the fridge and we had it as a side for Sunday dinner the next day.

It kept really well in the fridge for a few days and I just reheated it on the stove.

As always, let me know if you liked this recipe!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: White Chicken Chili

I was between sharing this recipe and the butternut squash soup recipe for Tasty Tuesday this week and this one won by a landslide on snapchat, so here it is!

If you voted for butternut squash, no worries, it'll be coming later!

I really love regular chili but it's just such a hearty meal and I have to really be in the mood for it.

White chicken chili on the other hand... I could eat this once a week and still love it!

There's something about it's creamy yet spicy flavor.

It reminds me a little of chicken tortilla soup but I probably would prefer this one still!

Make sure you add a little dollop of sour cream and you can't forget the crushed tortilla chips ;)

This recipe was even Oaklyn approved, and trust me, that's saying a whole lot with how picky she has been these days!

Have it on a rainy day while in sweats and watch Hocus Pocus while you're at it ;)

Ingredients:

-2-3 Chicken Breasts

-1/2 of an onion, chopped 

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 cans great northern beans

-32 oz chicken broth

-2 tsp salt

-1 tsp cumin

-2 tsp oregano

-1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp pepper

-2 cans chopped green chiles

-2 tbsp chopped jalepenos from a jar (optional, adds more spice!)

-2 cups sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)

-1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Toppings:

-Shredded cheese

-Cilantro

-Crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

1) Boil chicken breasts in water until cooked through

2) Either shred or cube chicken. I go back and forth on which way I like better but if you shred it, leave it in bigger pieces.

3) Heat oil in soup pot. Once heated, add onion. Cook until translucent but not colored.

4) Add chicken and combine for a few minutes stirring occasionally.

5) Add beans, broth, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, and garlic powder. Give it all a good mix.

6) Let simmer for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

7) Switch to low heat and add heavy whipping cream and sour cream. Stir until combined and let sit for 10 minutes. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

8) Serve with all the yummy toppings and enjoy!

I hope you guys like this recipe just as much as I do!

It makes enough for about 8-10 people and lasted us a few days of leftovers.

I can be pretty weird about leftovers but this is one I could do over and over again!

Just make sure to store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Let me know if you tried it and liked it!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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