Cream Of Soup Mix

I've shared before of my dislike of processed foods, and convenience foods. Part of it's taste, part of it's the ingredient list, part of it's the whole "grow your own" revolution. (Hello, farm fresh eggs!) 

There are some things, though, that I was/am sure I can't give up. (We are not going to discuss my caffeine addiction. Really guys, it's gotten better!) My cans of cream of chicken/mushroom soups were definitely on that list. While I was moderately disgusted by them, I was sure that:
#1 I don't want to mess with a liquid in the fridge that will go bad, or something in the freezer I'm going to have to remember to thaw.
#2 It wasn't going to be nearly as convenient. 
#3 It was going to ruin all of my favorite recipes. (Like my Cheesy Chicken & Tortillas!) 

After some recipe searching and contemplating, I determined I could work past #1. I found a few recipes I was willing to try, that stayed in powder form. (Then you add liquid right before use.)

I was right in the aspect of #2, kinda. Making it in the moment is not convenient. But, most thinks like this aren't meant to be made in the moment. My taco seasoning I certainly don't--I make a big batch all at once. This makes a decent sized batch, so after the first time I made it I had a bit to use up, and play with. After making a few things with it and realizing that I was wrong about #3, I made a big batch. I think I multiplied the recipe by 4...

And truthfully? Haven't looked back since. (There are actually a couple cans of the other stuff that need to make their way to the food pantry before they expire...)

In all the recipes I've made with this, which is everything that calls for a cream-of soup since last winter, I haven't had any real issues. I have learned that you sometimes need to decrease the liquid, if adding it to something with a lot of liquid already, but that's about it. 

So, go on. Join the mini-revolution. Have fun, we have all kinds of goodies here. 

Printable Recipe

Cream of Soup

(Yes, the picture is mediocre, but what else am I supposed to take a picture of? It's not any prettier when you add the water. Just better than the canned stuff.)

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry milk powder
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon onion flakes (I use Onion Onion)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I use Garlic Garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together with a whisk. Store in an airtight container.
2. To make into soup: Combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cups water in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth. On medium heat, bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until desired consistency. (Cooking not necessary if adding to a recipe, just whisk and add instead of cream of soup. Do not skip the whisking!)
3. If making cream of chicken soup, add 1 crushed bouillon cube to the 1/3 cup dry mix.

Yield/Time

8 servings

<5 minutes

Nutrition Facts

76 calories per serving *I calculate nutrition facts for my use only, this is not done scientifically

Source (for original): Humorous Homemaking

Remember, comments are love! What convenience foods have you stopped using, or want to?

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Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

I am such a pasta girl. I love a good alfredo, but I am bit of a snob. I'll try any homemade recipe, but I can't buy the canned stuff. (I've tried them all.... they are disgusting.) I do a lot of different recipes, and most of them are essentially the same, but this is the most recent. Pretty easy, too! 

This would be easy to vary, too. Toss in any frozen veggie you like, add some more seasonings, etc.  

Do you have a favorite alfredo recipe? Share in the comments!

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

Ingredients

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
• 1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups cream
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine broccoli, pasta, and chicken; place into a 9”x13” baking dish.
3. Melt butter completely over medium heat in large skillet or pan. Add flour, garlic, onion, salt, and stir to form a roux. Slowly add milk and cream, stir continuously until sauce has thickened. Add Parmesan, stir to combine thoroughly.
4. Evenly pour and distribute alfredo sauce over pasta combination. Gently stir to combine, and sprinkle with more Parmesan as desired.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Yield/Time

6 servings

30 minutes

Source (for original): Chef in Training

Taco Seasoning, and more thoughts on convenience foods...

Today you can get basically anything as a convenience food. Many food advertisers are directing things at busy moms, working moms, businessmen on the go, etc. "Get dinner on the table in 5 minutes!" "Just add milk!" etc. They even (sometimes) advertise these products as healthy for you.

Then, there is the opposite end of the spectrum--especially when you are looking for recipes online. Many bloggers seem to advocate making everything from scratch-and I mean everything. From bread, applesauce, cream-of-soups, ricotta cheese, peanut butter, marshmallows....

Given that I am posting about making taco seasoning from scratch, you may think I am at the opposite end of the spectrum. And that's true--kinda. I think it's (in general) healthier to make some things from scratch. I've already posted about my lack-of-love for pre-packaged foods. It may have something to do with my mama, who generally doesn't buy foods like that. However, it's simply not practical to make everything from scratch, especially in a home where both parents are working. I work 4 days a week, and I do a lot of my prep/mealmaking beforehand, but there are times when I don't. If I get home from work and there are no leftovers and nothing prepped, I just want to get a meal on the table as fast as possible. (Well, Gabriel wants a meal on the table as fast as possible. I can usually wait; him not so much.) Sometimes those convenience foods really make my life a lot easier (and my boy a lot happier!). 

Sometimes it's fun to make things from scratch that you can get -easier & probably cheaper- prepared at the store. For example, oatmeal cream pies. (And yes, I've done that. It was fun!) And cheez-its. (Again, fun! But so time-consuming!!) It's just not practical to do it all the time.

Then, there are things that are easy, cheaper, and healthier than the storebought! For us, taco seasoning is one of those. When I was doing a not-so-great job at mealplanning, it seemed like we never had it when I wanted it. And, while it's not really expensive, the spices in taco seasoning are all things that I have on hand regularly. (Unlike nutmeg, which I apparently am destined to always run out of...) On top of that, you can change it up to suit your needs. Lower the salt, make it spicier, make it less spicy, etc. 

 See below the recipe for comments on it...

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons paprika (I hate paprika, so I never have it on hand. So, I sub with cayenne pepper.)
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons sea salt (decrease as desired! I usually don't add this much, but I also don't usually measure it.)
• 4 teaspoons black pepper

Directions

• In a jar or small container add all the ingredients together and stir or shake until combined. (See how complicated this is? It's amazing I can handle a recipe with this many instructions.)

Yield/Time

5 minutes

Source (for original): What’s That Smell

For tacos, brown one pound beef then add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Simmer with ½ – 1 cup of water until most of the water has absorbed, or to your desired consistency.

Note on the amount of taco seasoning to add: 2 tablespoons makes the tacos fairly spicy, especially if you sub out the paprika for cayenne. I can't get away with that for Gabriel; I usually decrease it to 1 to 1 1/2. 

I usually double or triple this when I make it; it stores well and then I don't have to worry that I don't have enough right when I'm ready to add taco seasoning to something.


What about you? What convenience foods do you do from scratch, and what do you think is worth buying at the store?