Chicken, Bacon, and Rice Soup

Hello all! My best friend Lauren from thelittlethingswedo blog just gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Since as a new mom I'm sure the last thing she wants to do is cook, I cooked up a bunch of freezer ready meals that she can heat and enjoy. I made them a barbecue chicken cornbread casserole, some individual pot pies, and this soup. I grabbed the recipe off of Lauren's pinterest so I knew it was something she would enjoy. Believe it or not, this was my first time making a roux, and it seemed pretty lumpy to me, but once mixed in with the soup base, the lumps disappeared. Feel free to add more veggies, I know I will next time I make it. The recipe is highly customizable, you could sub in brown rice (that's what I did) or noodles or some other starch. The soup is so hearty and nourishing that all you really need to accompany it is a fresh green salad. Hope you enjoy, and if you get a chance, hop on over to Lauren's blog and congratulate her!

Chicken Bacon Rice Soup

Author: Pinch of Yum, from Cambridge Medical Center cookbook

3 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice (or brown), rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions - I only had scallions, they seem similar to me!

1/2 cup margarine or butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped pimiento

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water.

Add rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes (or until rice is tender). Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth - do not drain. In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper.

Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly (mine never got all the way smooth, guess it takes practice). Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.

Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add remaining ingredients (chicken, bacon, and pimiento).

Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. I cooked mine about an hour and a half. Do not boil. The longer you cook it, the more it will thicken.

This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day.

Have a happy week!

Stromboli Sandwiches

Usually I'm not a big fan of Rachel Ray, many of her recipes have long lists of ingredients which I usually don't have. I also find her use of the phrases "Yum-O" and "EVOO" and cutesy recipe names (ahem... sammies...) a bit annoying. My sister, however, is a big fan. And, I must admit, this recipe was awesome. I had everything I needed on hand, it came together in 25 minutes (including the 15 minutes baking time), and it impressed my guests. So in this case, way to go Rachel Ray!

Stromboli Sandwiches

Adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray

One 16-ounce loaf semolina bread

Spinach or other mixed greens (I used a 50/50 mix)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound chicken sausage or tofu crumbles

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

2 cups shredded provolone cheese

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (3 generous handfuls)

8 thin slices mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Cut off the top quarter of the bread lengthwise and scoop out the bottom piece.

In a medium skillet, heat oil t over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling with a spoon, until browned. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, if using.

Sprinkle bread shell with provolone cheese, add a layer of greens, then sausage mixture.

Finally, top with the parmigiano, mozzarella and bread lid.

Wrap the sandwich in foil and bake until the cheese is melted, 15 minutes.

Cut into thick slices to serve.

One more thing, I would love to know what kind of recipes you all want to see. If you could take a sec and vote in the poll in my side bar, I would be supremely grateful!

Thanks, can't wait to hear what you all think!

Happy Eating!

I'll be linking up to Mouthwatering Monday and Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Tasty Tuesday, It's a Keeper, and Rook #17