A Week of Soups

This is my last week as a full-time stay at home mom. I've got 20+ meals in the freezer ready to go. But I want to cook still. So, I'm making a week of soups. I'm making double batches and freezing them. It will be heavenly.

Monday: Baked Potato Soup

Throw 6 large, peeled, diced potatoes in the crockpot with 1 quart of broth, 4 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves of garlic, and a diced onion, or onion powder. Cook on low for 8 hours, blend it up, add in bacon bits, cheese, sour cream, chives, etc.

Tuesday: One husband goes to the store, I will make Guiness and Onion Soup, since I have lots of onions left over from my cooking for the month this weekend. I made this one on the stove, but it will be reheated in the crockpot.

Wednesday: Sweet Potato Soup

Made it on the stove top and then split it into two ziploc bags for easing freezing and reheating later on. I doubled the recipe, since it serves 4.

Over medium-low heat cook 1T flour and 1T butter and make a roux. Then add 1 1/2 cup broth and 1 T brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer. Stir in 1 1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, bring to a simmer again and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/4t ginger, 1/8 t nutmeg, and 1/8 t cinnamon and then puree soup using immersion blender (my new toy!) or a regular blender. Then add 1 cup milk, stir and serve.

Thursday: Butternut Squash Soup

Would you believe I made an extra trip to the store just for butternut squash? I did. (Hangs head in shame.) That is two trips in two days. But I really wanted this soup in my freezer. I've made it before and its so wonderful. I roasted the squash in the oven, then peeled and cubed it. Now its in my freezer so I can simply dump it into the crockpot and enjoy sometime this month when I want soup.

Friday: Taco Soup
An old stand-by in this house, courtesy of my friend Kate, the first time we lived in Arizona. This soup is perfect for the spicy palates and the toddlers in the house. Its super easy to make (open cans and dump into crockpot) and it reheats perfectly. I've had leftovers every time except once, when I had 5 extra adults in the house, so I'm confident that we will have plenty left over to freeze for lunches.

In crockpot, put one diced onion, 16 oz can of chili beans, 15 oz can of black beans, 15 oz can of corn (or fresh/frozen), 8 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 packet of taco seasoning, 12 oz of beer (we use a pale ale or lager) and 2 cans of rotel diced tomatoes with chilis  Place 3 to 4 chicken breasts on top and then push them down under the liquid. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, then shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips.