Buttery Lima Bean Meatball Soup

When most people think of meatballs they think of Italian spaghetti and meatballs. For a change of pace theirs nothing better than a hot bowl of soup made with buttery lima beans and meatballs to warm you up from the inside out on a cold winter night.

Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours
Servings: 2-4
1 pound ground beef
1 cup dry lima beans
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup carrots,diced
1/4 cup celery with leaves, diced
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (15.5 ounce) can tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse lima beans and pour into the Dutch oven with 4 cups of water. Bring water to a rapid boil for 3 minutes; set aside for 1 hour.
2. In a small bowl, mix flour and 1/2 cup water; pour into Dutch oven with lima beans. Cook over medium heat until fork tender; stir in onion, bouillon cube, tomatoes,carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to boil; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine with your hands ground beef, Italian style bread crumbs, evaporated milk, and Worcestershire sauce. Roll meat mixture into balls about the size of a quarter. Add to Dutch oven; cover and bake in oven for 1 hour or until meatballs are cooked; stir occasionally.

Leftover Turkey Soup

Are you trying to find something to make with your leftover turkey? Instead of turkey sandwiches, why not have a good old fashion bowl of turkey soup. If you’re tired of turkey today, freeze it for tomorrow.
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
Leftover turkey with bones
16 cups water
4 cups turkey,chopped
1 pint half-n-half
2 medium onions, diced
3 large carrots, diced
4 celery stalks with leaves, diced
1 1/2 cups margarine/butter
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white rice, uncooked

Directions:
1. Pull meat and skin off turkey into a large bowl. Place only skin and bones into 5 quart saucepan with 16 cups of water; cook for 20 minutes. Remove from burner; pour through strainer into a large bowl.  Discard skin and bones. Set aside turkey broth.
2. Place vegetables, rice and 4 cups turkey broth into the same saucepan. Cook on low-medium heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender; stir occasionally. Pour into the same bowl as turkey; set aside.
3. Melt margarine in the same saucepan; mix in flour; cook until bubbly. Add half-n-half and the set aside turkey broth into the same saucepan; bring to a boil. Next, add vegetable mixture, turkey, and seasonings into saucepan. Heat thoroughly while stirring occasionally.

Tip #1: Freeze leftover soup for 1 month.
Tip #2: Use store bought turkey broth instead of making your own turkey to save time.

Simple Chuck Roast Vegetable Stew-Pulled

In a hurry or having a busy day? Use your slow cooker to save yourself a lot of time and energy. Prepare the meal in the slow cooker the night before and let the slow cooker do all the work, your meal is ready before your home. Happy Cooking

Pulled for upcoming book askmsrecipe: Simple Recipes that Make Cents

Fabulous Chicken Vegetable Soup for the Soul

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, bite size pieces
5 cups chicken broth
2 cans 15.5 oz.northern beans, rinsed
2 large potatoes, peeled, cut into bit size pieces
2 cans 15.5 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots,diced
1 teaspoon pepper
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen green beans

Salt (optional)

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into 5 quart saucepan except northern beans  cover and cook on medium-low heat; stir occasionally. Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes;
2. Pour northern beans into saucepan and cook covered for 15 additional minutes. Serve with your favorite bread.

Tip: Use a strainer to drain the northern beans.

Recipe Questions: About Sauerkraut

A reader asked a question about my post for Groovy Reuben Soup.

hello hello. hmm. this one seems to be easy to do. however, i want to ask… what is sauerkraut? quite puzzled about that.

Ms Recipes Answer:
Sauerkraut is actually Fermented Cabbage. You can check out a bit of the history and pictures of sauerkraut at  Wikipedia

A few readers said someone in their home doesn’t like sauerkraut. If they don’t like sauerkraut you can cook the sauerkraut with some butter, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Just cook enough on the side and add it to you soup bowl.