Tag Archive for Dinner

Bread Bowl Chicken Salad Soup

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Bread Bowl Chicken Salad Soup - thesurprisedgourmet.com

Bread Bowl Chicken Salad Soup perfect for an evening meal

Cooler temperatures bring to mind comforting soups and Bread Bowl Chicken Salad Soup is a new addition to our list of favorites.

Instead of making a traditional vegetable soup or a soothing chicken noodle soup, I wanted something just a bit different. It wasn’t until the soup was almost done when I decided to add the most unique ingredient – homemade Simply Chicken Salad.

Simply Chicken Salad is a favorite dish at our house and seems to be in the refrigerator every other week. I couldn’t resist adding some to the soup just to see how it would turn out.

I baked the Tuscan Bread Bowl in the oven according to the package instructions. After baking, I cut off the top, scooped out the center and returned it to the oven for the bowl to set.

I chopped and diced all of my ingredients prior to starting the soup so that it would go much smoother and quicker. Using a 2 quart stock pan, I added my ingredients starting with the 2 ½ tablespoons of canola oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Next I added the cup of finely diced carrots, a cup of finely diced celery, 1 ½ cups of corn that I had cut off of the cob, ¼ cup of finely diced onion, and 2 finely diced Roma tomatoes.

The dry ingredients came next: 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoons dried parsley, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon. Mixing that well I added 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 can English peas, and 3 cups of chicken stock.

Cooking the soup - thesurprisedgourmet.com

The ingredients for Bread Bowl Chicken Salad Soup cooking

The chicken stock I used was frozen as ice cubes and worked great for adding to this soup. Anytime you have leftover chicken stock don’t throw it away, instead freeze it in ice trays. When the stock is frozen, pop it out of the ice trays and put it in freezer bags in your freezer. It’s a handy way to use up your stock and have small amounts when you need it. You can measure how much goes into a cube and then you’ll be able to add just the right amount when needed. My cubes equaled 1 ½ tablespoons each.

When my soup was just about ready, I decided to add in a cup of homemade Simply Chicken Salad. This gave the soup a different texture and even more flavor. I let it cook just a few minutes more to mingle all the flavors together. As I removed it from the heat, I added the final two ingredients – ¾ cup sour cream and 1/3 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese – making sure to incorporate the new ingredients with the soup.

The results was a rich and creamy texture with such aromas you won’t believe. I put a couple of dippers of soup in the bread bowl and started to add another dab of sour cream, but decided against it. The fragrant soup was delicious with the occasional bits of bread coming off the sides of the bread bowl.

This is like most soups that contains vegetables, you can use any combination of vegetables you like. It doesn’t matter what you want, it usually works well in a soup.

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you’ll give this soup a try. If you do, please drop back by and let me know how it went or if you post about it be sure to tag it with #thesurprisedgourmet. I’m always happy to know how the recipes turn out for you.

Cucina Felice!

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Bread Bowl Chicken Salad Soup

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4-5 servings

A delectable soup in a bread bowl that makes cool fall evenings warmer.
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons Canola oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced (1 cup)
  • 3 ribs of celery, finely diced (1 cup)
  • 2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off (1 ½ cups)
  • Half of a sweet onion, finely diced (1/4 cup)
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon dried Basil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 Cups chicken stock
  • 1 Cup homemade chicken salad
  • 1 Can (15 ounce) English peas
  • 1 Teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
  • ¾ Cup sour cream
  • ¼ Cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place Tuscan Bread Bowl in preheated oven and cook as directed on package. When the bowl is ready, remove it and turn the oven to 550 degrees. Slice off the top of the bread bowl and crave out the center. Place the bowl back in oven at 550 degrees for 5 minutes to set the bowl.
  3. Take 4 quart stock pot, put in 2 ½ tablespoons Canola oil, 1 tablespoon butter and let it come up to medium high. Add 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery, ¼ cup onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon basil, and 1 tablespoon oregano.
  4. Sauté for about 2 minutes, add 1 ½ cups fresh cut corn from the cob, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Next add 1 cup tomatoes, stir well and add 3 cups of chicken stock. Add 1 cup of homemade chicken salad, 1 can (15 ounces) English peas (15 ounces), 1 teaspoon powder chicken bouillon, and 1 tablespoon Lawry’s garlic salt. Let this soup simmer for about 50 minutes all together or longer if you desire.
  5. When it’s taken off the stove add ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup shredded cheese and mix well. Ladle soup into bread bowl. You can garnish it with additional sour cream and shredded cheese, if desired.

 

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Share a Pork and Brown Rice Casserole

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Pork and Rice Brown Casserole

This scrumptious dish is great to carry to family gatherings,

In the South we tend to offer food for various occasions so next time you need a dish share a Pork and Brown Rice Casserole.

It’s probably the same way in other areas and countries around the world, but we like to think we’re different. We Southerners like to share our food when someone is sick, someone marries, someone has a baby, someone moves into a new home, someone dies.

You get the picture, we will share food at the drop of a hat. For any reason or no reason at all, we love to share our food. And, it doesn’t always have to be food you’ve prepared yourself. But, you’ll want to put that bought food on a nice dish to make’em think you made it yourself (even though they’ll know the truth).

Making Pork and Brown Rice Casserole

Preparing Pork and Brown Rice Casserole

A favorite food to carry (or to have at family gatherings) is a casserole. It’s usually a quick and easy, everything-in-one meal that can be cooked and served in the same casserole pan.

I recently threw together a Pork and Brown Rice Casserole for us one night because we’d just picked up brown rice at the grocery story that day. It turned out to be quite good, but much more than our family would eat. I took some to work the next day and shared with friends to rave reviews. I hope you’ll give it a try and find you like it just as well.

I cooked my brown rice according to the package instructions preparing enough for 1 1/2 cups and set the oven to 350 degrees to preheat.

Pork and Brown Rice Casserole out of the oven

Pork and Brown Rice Casserole fresh out of the oven and ready to eat

With a skillet on medium heat, I added 1/4 cup chopped onions, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano, 1/2 tablespoon dried basil, 1 cup minced bell pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, and 2 cups ground pork. I let it cook for about 5 minutes and then I added the 1 1/2 cups of brown rice. Stirring well, I let this simmer while I prepared the casserole dish.

I generously buttered a 2 quart casserole dish. Next I layered the bottom and sides with deli-style ham (using approximately 14 slices, varying on size of ham slices). Over that I sprinkled 3/4 cup Kraft Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese making sure the bottom was completely covered.

I poured the pork and rice mixture over the cheese and ham. I topped off the casserole with 1 cup Kraft Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese and 3/4 cup crushed and buttered croutons. I placed the dish in a preheated 350 degree oven on the middle rack and baked for approximately 25 minutes.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you take food to gatherings where you live? I hope you’ll give this casserole a try. If you do, please come back and let me know how it was or if you post it online tag it #thesurprisedgourmet. I’d love to know what you think.

Cucina Felice!

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Share a Pork and Brown Rice Casserole

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Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6-8 Servings

This delicious Pork and Brown Rice Casserole is perfect for family gatherings as a quick and easy meal.
Ingredients
  • 1½ Cups cooked brown rice
  • ¼ Cup minced onions
  • 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
  • ½ Tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ Tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 Cup minced bell pepper
  • 1½ Teaspoon fresh ground kosher salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 Cups cooked ground pork
  • 1¾ Cup Shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • 14 Slices deli-style ham
  • ¾ Cup Crushed and buttered croutons
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare 1½ cups brown rice as directed on the package. Set aside.
  3. With a skillet on medium heat, add ¼ cup chopped onions, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, ½ tablespoon dried oregano, ½ tablespoon dried basil, 1 cup minced bell pepper, 1½ teaspoon fresh ground kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, and 2 cups cooked ground pork. Let it cook for about 5 minutes and then add the 1½ cups of brown rice. Stirring well, let this simmer while you prepare the casserole dish.
  4. Generously butter a 2 quart casserole dish. Next layer the bottom and sides with deli-style ham (using approximately 14 slices, varying on size of ham slice). Over that sprinkled ¾ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese making sure the bottom is completely covered.
  5. Poured the pork and rice mixture over the cheese and ham. top off the casserole with 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese and ¾ cup crushed and buttered croutons. Place the dish in a preheated 350 degree oven on the middle rack and baked for approximately 25 minutes.

 

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Side Dishes: Guacamole & Cole Slaw

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Guacamole dip makes a delicious side dish

Guacamole dip makes a delicious side dish

With summer quickly drawing to an end and fall activities gearing up, it’s always good to have a couple of tasty side dishes you can prepare at a moments’ notice.

Today I want to share two dishes that are hits at our house. One is a longtime favorite and the other is one I came up with when I started out to make a salsa.

The longtime favorite is cole slaw and the new favorite is a delicious take on guacamole.

The guacamole dip came about this way. I had 2 avocados that weren’t as ripe as I had hoped, but I decided to use them anyway. I seeded, peeled, chopped and mashed them.

Next I added 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 3 teaspoons of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of Lawry’s Garlic salt, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. These ingredient amounts came about a little at a time as I added, tasted and then added a little more.

Using a hand-held immersion blender I pureed all the ingredients together into a smooth and creamy mixture. This became perfect for a dip. In fact, the texture of the mixture is so creamy you could use it on sandwiches, hamburgers or hot dogs to replace mayonnaise or mustard if you wanted to.

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Guacamole Dip

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This dip is great as a side dish or tasty as a snack
Ingredients
  • 2 Large avocados
  • 1 Teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 Teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 Teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Salt
  • ¼ Cup mayonnaise
  • ½ Teaspoon Cumin
Instructions
  1. Take 2 large avocados - seed, peel, chop and mash them.
  2. Added 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 3 teaspoons of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of Lawry's Garlic salt, ¼ cup of mayonnaise and ½ teaspoon cumin.
  3. Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree all the ingredients together into a smooth and creamy mixture. This becomes perfect for a dip. In fact, the texture of the mixture is so creamy you can use it on sandwiches, hamburgers or hot dogs to replace mayonnaise or mustard if you desire.

 

Homemade Cole Slaw as a side dish - The Surprised Gourmet

Homemade cole slaw is always good

Cole slaw is a great side dish that goes well with hamburgers and hot dogs. But is also makes a tasty side dish for full meals.

Taking a half of a medium head of cabbage, I chopped it up into pieces that would fit into the chute of my food processor. Next I peeled one large carrot. I put the cabbage and carrot through the shredding disc of the food processor creating a fine looking texture similar to angel hair cole slaw you would find in a grocery store.

Placing the cabbage and carrot mixture in a large bowl, I added 1 tablespoon of dried parsley and 2 teaspoons of celery seed.

Using a jar with a lid, I mixed 2 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of mayonnaise shaking the jar until the ingredients were well blended. Then I poured the dressing mixture over the cabbage ingredients until I got the desired moisture consistency I wanted, stirring well as I added. By mixing the dressing separately, you can adjust it to make the cole slaw as moist or dry as you prefer. The cole slaw comes out with a creamy, tangy taste.

To make the dressing mixture I used a mayonnaise jar, but a mason jar with a lid will work too. The cole slaw (covered tightly) will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.

Do you have any favorite side dishes that you can prepare at a moment’s notice? Do you have a favorite guacamole dip recipes?

Thanks for dropping by.

Cucina Felice!

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Cole Slaw

Cole Slaw

Homemade cole slaw goes great with hamburgers and hot dogs or a full meal.

Ingredients

  • Half a Medium Cabbage
  • 1 Large Carrot
  • 2 Teaspoons celery seed
  • 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar

Instructions

  1. Take a half of a medium head of cabbage, chop it into pieces that will fit into a food processor chute. Next peel one large carrot. Run the cabbage and carrot through the shredding disc of the food processor for an angel hair-type texture.
  2. Place the cabbage and carrot mixture in a large bowl, Add 1 tablespoon of dried parsley and 2 teaspoons of celery seed.
  3. Using a jar with a lid, mix 2 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of mayonnaise shaking the jar until the ingredients are well blended. Then pour the dressing mixture over the cabbage ingredients until you have the consistency you want, stirring as you go. Covered tightly the cole slaw keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
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Easy Bruschetta

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Easy Bruschetta is quick and simple to prepare

Easy Bruschetta is quick and simple to prepare

When I’m looking for a simple, quick and easy dish to prepare at the end of a long day, I turn to a recipe that’s a favorite at our house.

I found EASY BRUSCHETTA always seems to hit the spot for us. We even enjoy it for breakfast. I’ll top the bruschetta with over-easy fried eggs and it’s a hit at the picnic table for a breakfast outing.

When preparing this dish I sometimes use the oldest loaf of French or Italian bread I have on hand. The older bread works best as it doesn’t become too moist under the ingredients. You can even purchase day-old bread for this recipe.

I slice the bread diagonally and usually about ¾ to 1 inch thick. Be sure to preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you’re preparing your ingredients.

Shredded Mozzarella cheese added before baking

Shredded Mozzarella cheese added before baking

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. You may want to put the slices in the oven for about a minute to lightly toast them before you begin layering the ingredients. Next cover the slices with the seasoned tomato sauce. If I’m in a hurry I just use plain old ketchup. It works fine, especially in a pinch. I use the back of a teaspoon to smooth the sauce (ketchup) out making sure the slices are covered completely with a generous amount. Sprinkle Italian Seasoning lightly over each slice.

Next layer your Canadian bacon over the sauce mixture. You can add as little or as much bacon as you wish. If you don’t have Canadian bacon on hand you can use regular sandwich-style ham, just cut it into sections to fit the bread slices.

Slice the tomato thinly and overlap it on top of the other ingredients. Here again, depending on your taste, you can cut down on the amount of tomatoes on each slice.

Top all this off with a generous amount of Mozzarella shredded cheese. Be sure to clean up any excess cheese on the baking sheet otherwise you’ll have a hard time cleaning up.

Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven for about 8 minutes. You’ll want to keep a close eye on it as ovens vary in temperature. When the cheese is melted like you want, turn the oven to broil on high and continue cooking for about 30 to 45 seconds to brown the slices slightly. Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh basil, finely minced, and serve.

Easy Bruschetta recipe found at The Surprised Gourmet
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This dish makes enough for 3 to 4 people or you can enjoy the leftovers the next day. It keeps well in the refrigerator. This is also a recipe you can play with by adding any ingredients you like.

This is quick, simple and easy to make. It’s more filling then you might think.

One other note: you could even cut the slices into bite-size pieces, add a toothpick to each and have a tasty appetizer.

Have you made a dish like this before? What other ingredients would you try on it? Thanks for dropping by.

Cucina felice!

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Easy Bruschetta

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 3-4 Servings

Ingredients
  • ¾ Loaf French or Italian Bread
  • *Seasoned tomato sauce
  • 3 ½ ounces Canadian bacon
  • 1 Large tomato, thinly sliced
  • Shredded Mozzarella (to taste)
  • Italian Seasoning (to taste)
  • Fresh Basil (6 to 8 leaves, finely minced)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cut the bread diagonally into ¾-inch slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet. You can toast the bread lightly for about a minute before adding any ingredients.
  3. Cover each slice of bread generously with the seasoned tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Put slices of Canadian bacon over each slice. Add the thinly sliced tomatoes and top off with a good amount of shredded Mozzarella cheese.
  4. *Seasoned tomato sauce is just combining a can of tomato sauce with a mixture of herbs such as oregano, thyme, basil or Italian Seasoning.
  5. Place in oven for 8 minutes or until the cheese melts to the desired texture you want. Change oven to broil on high and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds until golden brown. Remove and top with fresh basil, finely minced, and serve.

 

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Stuffed Jumbo Shells

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Inside a Stuffed Jumbo Shell - TheSurprisedGourmetIt’s always fun to make a pasta recipe, even if it does take a little extra time.

There’s nothing like Stuffed Jumbo Shells to hit the spot when you’re craving a gooey goodness.

Jumbo Shell Mixture
This is how the sauce mixture should look as it cooks.

This recipe takes a little time, but has so many possibilities. If there are leftovers you can make so many other recipes from that. A good thing about being the cook to me is that you get to taste your mixture as you go along.

As you prepare the cottage cheese mixture, finely chop the spinach. I never use baby spinach anymore. I found that the regular spinach contains small leaves and the cost is much more reasonable.

The cottage cheese mixture comes together with the chopped spinach

This Stuffed Jumbo Shells dish is most delicious right out of the oven, but it is one you can prepare ahead of time, refrigerate and warm up when guests arrive. It also makes a lovely dish to share with someone having a house-warming party, birthday or get an old-fashion get-together.

While this meal is cooking you can sit back and relax with your favorite wine or beer. Some might suggest certain wines or beer to go with this dish, I say just enjoy your favorite beverage whatever it might be. Check out the directions below and try your hand at this tasty entrée.

**You can adjust the amounts of seasoning in this recipe to your taste. I’m of Italian descent and tend to go toward a stronger flavor in my dishes.

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Thanks for stopping by today and viewing this recipe. I hope you give it a try. If you do, let me know what you think.

Cucina felice!

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Stuffed Jumbo Shells
Jumbo Shells ready for the oven
Ingredients
  • 12 ounce package Jumbo Shells
  • SAUCE:
  • ½ Onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
  • 3 Tablespoons Canola oil
  • 2 Medium ribs of celery, leaves included (cut length-wise, then dice into ¼ inch pieces
  • 3 Heaping Tablespoons minced garlic (or 6 whole cloves of garlic, finely minced)
  • 3 Tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 (14 ½ ounce) Cans diced tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground salt (Sea or Kosher)
  • 2 Cups water
  • STUFFING MIXTURE:
  • 2 Cups cottage cheese
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 Cups Italian Cheese Blend (Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Romano, Fontina and Asiago)
  • 2 Cups packed fresh spinach, then finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground salt (Sea or Kosher)
  • 1 Large egg, beaten
Instructions
  1. Put Canola oil in 6 quart sauce pan on medium heat. Add onions and celery to oil and sauté for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat just a little so the garlic won’t burn and then add garlic of your choice. I use Spice World Minced Garlic, but you can use 6 whole cloves of garlic finely minced. Continue to cook for another minute.
  2. Add the Italian Seasoning and let cook until the seasonings releases some of its flavors. Next add the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Give it a good stir combining all the ingredients well and cook another one minute stirring occasionally. Add two (14 ½ ounce) cans of diced tomatoes. Stir well, add ground salt, black pepper and water. You can add more salt and pepper as needed for your taste.
  3. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer on low for approximately an hour, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking.
  4. While the sauce is cooking, prepare the stuffing mixture.
  5. Meanwhile, heat about 4 quarts of water in another 6 quart pan for the shells. Read the directions on your pasta package to regulate the right amount of water for the amount of pasta you’re using. You may need more or less water boiling depending on the amount you’re preparing.
  6. Use an immersion blender and puree the cottage cheese. Add oregano and stir. Next add the cheese blend and mix well. Finely chop the spinach and add to the cottage cheese mixture. Add salt and mix well. It’s not necessary to use baby spinach as the regular pack of spinach works just as well at a better price. Finish the stuffing by adding the egg, well beaten, to help bind the ingredients. Cover and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. When ready to prepare the shells, pour a portion of the sauce mixture into a large casserole dish. Drain the shells and fill with the cottage cheese mixture and place in the casserole dish on the sauce mixture. Use about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of mixture or fill to your desired thickness. Fill shells carefully as they will tear apart, but not to worry you can easily repair them. After the shells are laid out in the casserole dish, ladle sauce over the top of them.
  8. If you have shells (broken or otherwise) left over, don’t worry. You can use them in another pasta dish or you can chop them up and put them in any leftover sauce you might have from this recipe.
  9. After the shells are covered in sauce, place aluminum foil over the casserole pan. Place the dish in a pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Take from oven, remove foil, top with shredded cheese (any flavor of your choice such as sharp cheddar or fresh grated Parmesan) and place back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese topping. The cheese will actually begin to melt and you don't necessarily have to put it back in the oven if you desire not to.
  10. Garnish with sprigs or finely minced fresh basil for a splash of color and enjoy.

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