Tomato Tortellini Soup

Courtesy of The Kitchen

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 (14-ounce) package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • Grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar. Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, broth, cream, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tortellini and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes more (check at 3 minutes for fresh tortellini). Remove from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaves, and stir in the basil. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese and more basil, if desired.

Posted in Soups
Posted on October 28th, 2018 // No Comments

Cheesy Beef and Sweet Potato Taco Casserole

Courtesy of Pioneer Woman

Prep time: 25 Minutes
Cook time:  1 Hour
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 Medium-large Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
  • 1 Large Onion, Diced
  • 3 cloves (Large) Garlic, Minced
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper, Diced
  • 1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels
  • 1 can (15 Oz. Size) Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained
  • 1 can (14 1/2 Oz. Size) Diced Fire-roasted Tomatoes (Do Not Drain)
  • 2 cups Chunky Salsa
  • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Mexican Oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (or More To Taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • Thick Corn Tortilla Chips, As Needed
  • 8 ounces, weight Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
  • 4 ounces, weight Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
  • Sliced Green Onion And Chopped Cilantro, For Garnish (optional)
  • Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, To Serve (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

Peel and spiralize sweet potatoes, chopping just a bit to shorten very long strands. If you don’t have a spiralizer, just dice the sweet potato into small cubes. Set aside.

In an extra-large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown beef with onion, breaking up any large chunks and stirring occasionally. When the pink color is almost gone from the beef, stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper, corn, and sweet potato. Then add the beans, tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper, folding to combine. Turn heat down just a bit to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. If you are using diced sweet potatoes rather than spiralized, you will need to cook this a bit longer. Just make sure that the sweet potato has softened.  (Note: I found steaming the spiralized sweet potatoes for a few minutes prior to combining helped in the cooking process.)

Spread 2 cups of the beef mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer tortilla chips on top, slightly overlapping the chips. Drop half of the remaining beef mixture  by spoonfuls over the chips, and then spread it out into an even layer. Sprinkle half the Mexican cheese and half the pepper jack cheese over the beef mixture. Top with another layer of tortilla chips, followed by the remaining beef mixture and then the cheeses.

Cover pan loosely with foil (so the foil doesn’t touch the cheese) and cook for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the casserole is heated throughout. Remove foil, place pan under broiler, and broil until cheese is browned to your liking. Remove from oven and top with optional green onion and/or cilantro. Serve immediately with optional sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa on the side

Posted in Casserole, Recipes Discovered , ,
Posted on October 22nd, 2018 // No Comments