What are you preparing for supper on these cooler nights?

[cat lover]

:confused: Do you plan a big pot of homemade soups, a big meat, potato, and veggie meal, or just plain ole comfort food? Let's share those good tried and true recipes here so we can all stay warm as the winter approaches! Or if there is one you are looking for maybe someone here has it and will share!!;)

Here 's a soup we like on a cool night


Black Bean & Rice Soup

1 medium oniuon, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 16 oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 14 1/2 oz an crushed tomaotes
2 141/2 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours. (High 3 to 4 hours). Add cooked rice before serving. 6-8 servings

[DeBora4BobbyL]

These days I am just lucky to get home and eat. lol I make soups anytime I can as they are so comforting. A lot depends on my schedule on a particular day or particular week. When I have night classes, I have the main meal at lunch and come home to raiding the fridge for a late supper. However, on all the other nights, I make dinner which can range anywhere between pinto beans to pork roast if hubby is visiting.

[cat lover]

Chili is another thing I like to fix on cold nights and Potato Rice soup! We like to eat salads with soups so that kind of rounds out the meal!

[Sammi1961]

I go back to comfort foods during colder weather - things like meatloaf and baked potatoes, home made beef stew and biscuits, pot roast with vegetables, lasagna, chicken and stuffing. These are things I don't make in the summer as I don't want to use the oven as much when it is hot out. It is a nice change from the cold meals of pasta salads or burgers and the other grilled foods we eat in the warmer months.

[pag36]

I am like Sammi don't like to use the oven during warmer weather. I LOVE chili and certain soups. Catlover I just copied/pasted your recipe into email and sent to myself will also send to others. Thanks for sharing it

[LifeStar]

I have been on a comfort food craze lately. I've made roasted turkey breast, and used the leftovers to make turkey pot pie.. Then there was home made Mac-n-cheese, southern fried chicken, my MIL's Sunday gravy ( pasta sauce with meats) stuffed shells and roast pork loin..Oh and how could I forget the apple pie and crisps? Soon start the soups and stews, and home-baked breads.

[cat lover]

I am like Sammi don't like to use the oven during warmer weather. I LOVE chili and certain soups. Catlover I just copied/pasted your recipe into email and sent to myself will also send to others. Thanks for sharing it


Hope you like it pag36; we like it a lot and it really holds the heat; the rice does that I think!

[pag36]

You have made me hungry just reading your post. Everything sounds super good.

I broke down and fixed myself a bowl of cereal and will go to bed. Take care all

[pag36]

I have already had feedback on your soup Catlover all can not wait to make it. Thanks again This clock here is way off it is only 12:30 here but says my last post was after 4 in morning lol

[sweetnell3]

My familys favor thing for cold weather is made with can chili,ranchstyle beans,rotel tomatoes,small can of cream and cheese add to heated through then serve with fritio corn chips. A old man gave that recipe to my mom when we own a food store when I was younger we got out of the store when I was around 15.Anyway I lov it and so does my kids.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Nell, that sounds like a casserole that I occaisonally make called Spanish Cassserole. I cook some ground beef, chopped onions, and garlic. Then I add Rotel tomatoes, Ranch Style Beans, and Spanish rice. I pour some Fritoes on the bottom of the 13 by 9 inch casserole. Then, I pour the meat mixture over that. I cover with shredded cheddar and bake until the cheese melts. I bet you could add cream or sour cream as well as anything else that you wanted. I don't make it very often because DH doesn't like anything spicy.

[cat lover]

Sweetnell, that sounds good; I'll use vegetarian chili so DH can have it. Would the small can of cream be a small can of (5 oz size) of evaporated milk?

[sweetnell3]

Catlover you use the amount of cream that you want to your own taste as some people likes it with more cream or less . Either way I would use the cream to your own taste.Let me know if you like it, my kids and I love it but dh isn't to crazey about.lol

[cat lover]

Okay, my DS#2 is supposed to come and visit next friday and bring his live-in's son and her grandson along. Weather providing I plan on building a fire in the firepit and let them cook hot dogs over the fire on sticks, chips and smores. So the dip would be a nice thing to have also, thanks!

[OSI]

This time of the year, Chili is tops on our list. We just made 17 quarts yesterday in our Nesco oven roaster. We don't eat beef or pork so we made ours with ground chicken breast.

Anna

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Anna, it is so good to see you here. I LOVE chili too! If you get a chance, stop by the Welcome thread (http://www.momsmenu.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9640#post9640)so that others can welcome you!

[Bilby]

One of my favourite things to have is lamb and vegetable soup, my mum makes a really nice thick one. According to my guys though soup is not a meal it's an entre and has to hae more to it no matter how many veges or how much meat is there.
I love to prepare lasagne with or without meat and any time of the year.

[Lizzie-boo]

All of you have my mouth watering. With the cooler weather lately, I have been leaning toward comfort foods, too. I am a big fan of soups any time of the year, but they particularly appeal once it's cooler. My favorites are Beef with Barley and a Potato Cheese Soup. I also made homemade macaroni and cheese the other day, and bought a head of cabbage to make an Unstuffed Cabbage casserole. Yum!

Liz

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Lizzie, what is Unstuffed Cabbage casserole?

[sweetnell3]

Lizzie I would love to have your unstuffed cabbage casserole! I had one but I lost it. Thanks!Debora it like stuffed cabbage but you don't actually stuff the cabbage its more like layered or mix all the ingredents togahter. Is that right Lizzie?

[Lizzie-boo]

Yes, that's exactly what Unstuffed Cabbage is. It is a layered casserole that uses all the basic components of stuffed cabbage, but with not so much of the rolling.

The layers are:
chopped cabbage
mixture of cooked ground beef, onion, garlic and rice
more chopped cabbage
topped with a can of tomato soup (not diluted)

I'm at work right now so I don't have the exact recipe with me, but I'll post it this weekend. Thanks for asking.

Liz

[Lizzie-boo]

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE CASSEROLE

1/3 cup long grain rice
6 cups chopped cabbage, about 1/2 of a large head
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use about 2 tsp. from a jar)
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 can tomato soup, not diluted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a 3-quart casserole dish, spread half of chopped cabbage.

Saute ground beef and onion until meat is brown. Drain fat, if necessary. Stir in cooked rice and garlic and heat through, if necessary. Spread over top of cabbage layer. Season with pepper. Top with remaining cabbage. Spread tomato soup over top. Cover and bake for 1 hour (until cabbage is tender).

Liz

[cat lover]

Your Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole sure sounds good! I tend to drift towards casseroles when the weather turns cold along with mashed taters! Thanks for sharing; I printed it out to try later!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thanks for sharing Lizzie!

[rhi]

I love cooler weather just for the comfort foods! Meatloaf, "the works" twice baked potatoes, soups and cassaroles. I just made a beef soup in the crockpot and decided that I wanted dumplings too so in they went as well. I love to cook this time of year, it just seems to be so much work when it's hot because, well it's hot.

[sweetnell3]

I made the unstuffed cabbage casserole tonight only I use tomato sauce in place of the soup because I was out of the tomato soup.My family really enjoy it and dd does not like cabbage. Thanks for the recipe Lizzie!

[Lizzie-boo]

Sweetnell, I'm so glad you liked it. For me, it's one of those comfort foods from my childhood, and it always satisfies. DH is not too fond of it, so I generally make it and then eat it for lunches over a week. I generally don't like the same thing day after day, but this casserole is an exception to that.

Liz

[cat lover]

I just made a beef soup in the crockpot and decided that I wanted dumplings too so in they went as well.


That sounds good; care to share your soup and dumpling crockpot recipe?

[LifeStar]

One of my favorite easy suppers is something I call Mexican Lasagne... It's something I have put together from other recipes, and my family loves it. As you guys know, I don't really use recipes when I cook, but I'll do my best here. I usually serve it with the Goya brand plantains. they're nice and sweet and you can get them in the frozen food section. Using the BAKED Tostitos is what makes it lasagne instead of Nachos. They are soft, will absorb liquid and turn this into a fork dish, rather than a finger dish ! :)

Mexican Lasagne

Ingredients:2 pound ground beef or turkey
2 envelope Taco seasoning ( I usually use Old El Passo)
1 8oz container sour cream
1 small container whipped cream cheese ( 4 oz? 8 oz?)
16 oz salsa
16 oz Salsa con queso
1 bag baked Tostitos brand scoops ( or chips)
1/2 sweet onion, diced( vidalia)
1 large ripe tomatoe, diced
1 can niblets corn, drained
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 can fat-free refried beans
8oz pkg shredded Kraft mexican style cheese
1/4 head iceburg lettuce, shredded ( for garnish)
guaccamole ( optional for garnish)

Directions:-Pre-heat oven to 400*-Saute meat and taco seasonings as directed on seasoning packet.
-Heat up refried beans
-Stir together 8oz sour cream and 4 oz cream cheese untill well combined
-In a 13X9 inch baking pan, spread 1/2 of salsa on bottom of pan
-Place a layer of Tostito scoops over bottom of pan, covering the whole surface
-Spoon taco meat over scoops
-Sprinkle on chopped veggies, (reserving a small amount of each for garnish)
-Spooon the cheese/sourcream mixture and the refried beans over the meat, distributing evenly
-Spoon 1.2 remaining salsa over the top
-Spoon the slasa con queso over the top
-Place another layer of Tostitos on top of everything
-Top with remaining salsa and sprinkle with shredded cheese and reserved chopped veggies ( except lettuce )
-Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until all hot and bubbly.
-Garnish with lettuce and guaccamole if desired.

You can substitute or omit any toppings.. If you like it spicier, use Rotel tomatoes instead of the fresh diced.. Or add chopped chilis.. whatever you please.

[cat lover]

Oh that sounds really good; thanks for sharing it with us; looking forward to more of your "recipes"!

[cat lover]

Made my Turkey Rice soup tonight. It is really a throw together I came p with one time when we needed something quick and hot and I had a large container of defatted turkey broth!

1/2 gallon defatted turkey broth
2 quarts water
poultry seasoning, coarse grind black pepper, minced garlic to taste(I add enough of all these to cover the liquid in the pot; we like a lot of seasoning)
1large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 cup cooked chopped turkey meat
1 cup long grain rice

Heat all together in a large Dutch oven and cook till vegetables are tender; add rice and cover and cook till rice is tender.

[Lizzie-boo]

Cat lover, that sounds wonderful. I don't often have turkey broth, but I could do the same with defatted chicken broth. (I like a lot of seasonings, too!).

Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Liz

[cat lover]

I call it turkey if I have turkey broth, but we do chicken rice soup too if I have chicken broth. Both are good; I think the poultry seasoning just makes it! Hope you'll like it!