I thought this thread was a great idea ladies!

Here is an easy soup recipe I have used for lunches during my weight loss...

HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP
1 large can stewed tomatoes (I sometimes use a quart of homemade stewed tomatoes)
3 large green onions
2 small cans of beef broth, reduced salt and fat if possible (2-3 cups)
1 package of Lipton dry chicken noodle soup mix
5-6 salks celery
1 small can of green beans including juice
1 green pepper (I sometimes throw in a red peper as well)
2-3 cups carrots (mini carrots are easy to use)

Cut veggies in small to medium-size pieces. Throw everything into a large pot and cover with water. Add seasoning - salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder - whatever you like. Bring to a boil and then simmer until veggies are done but still firm.

This freezes great in small containers to pull out for a quick lunch!

Ooh, Moy, that sounds delish!! Can't wait until there are gobs of recipes in this thread and I can print them all!!

This is a recipe I now use instead of my old method of making pot pie from scratch (which took almost 5 hours!). Enjoy!

Inside-Out Chicken Pot Pie
1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4-1/2 C. milk
8 oz. frozen peas & carrots
1 can Pillsbury Grands! biscuits

Spray a 10" skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken until white. Add soup, milk, and veggies. Cover and simmer on low-med. for 10-15 minutes. While that is cooking, bake biscuits according to package directions.

Serve chicken mixture over opened biscuits.

I just did a search and found my lost recipes!!!! I'll post some of my favorites!

Calzone dough

1 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup oil
1 cup warm water

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and let stand 10 min. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients and let stand another 10 min. Roll out dough and cut into small plate size circles. Fill with desired fillings and fold over pinching edges to seal. Bake at 425° for about 10 min or until slightly browned.

I fill them with Prego sauce, pepperoni and cheese You can put any pizza topping in them. I've even done broccoli and cheese once! You can squish the dough out onto a cookie sheet, top with cheese and cook it as a big rectangle. Then I cut it into breadsticks and dip in sauce. This is a fabulous recipe and doesn't take too much time for a homemade taste! I used to make this all the time in college when I was studying. MY DH loves it now!

Laura

This is a favorite soup that I lost the recipe for It is sooo good in winter!!!!

Macaroni Ratatouille Soup (Rat-a-tat soup)

1 lb. Sausage (I use bulk sausage from the butcher, looks just like hamburger)
1 med. Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 can tomato soup
1 can beef broth (I use Better Than Bullion and water)
1 can tomatoes, undrained and cut up
2 cups water
1 lb eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces (I have never included this)
½ tsp pepper
½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni (sometimes I use tortellini)

In 5-qt Dutch oven over medium heat, cook sausage, onion, garlic and oregano until sausage is browned, stirring to separate sausage. Spoon off fat.

Add soup, broth, undrained tomatoes, water, eggplant and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 15 min., stirring occasionally.

Stir in macaroni, cook 10 minutes more or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.

Makes about 7 cups or 5 main-dish servings.

Laura

This is a family favorite on my DH's side! Its similar to the other soup, but seems to take longer to cook.

Tortellini Soup
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, sliced
5 cups beef broth
½ cup water
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
8 oz tomato sauce
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
1 ½ cup sliced zucchini
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 tbsp fresh parsley
8 oz cheese-filled tortellini

Instructions:

Brown sausage and drain; reserve 1 tbsp drippings and saute onion and garlic until tender. In a large pot, combine broth, water tomatoes (can drain or leave undrained), carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, onion, garlic and sausage. Bring to boil. Simmer 30 minutes, uncovered. Skim fat. Stir in zucchini, tortellini, parsley, and green pepper. Simmer 35-40 minutes more or until tortellini is tender. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Laura’s notes:

This recipe is a lot of work if done this way. I take country sausage (no casing) and cook it with the onion at the same time in a large pot. Then I add everything but the tortellini and cook until its half done, then add tortellini and zucchini and green pepper. You can add and take from this recipe with great results. I don’t put in zucchini or green pepper because of family allergies. I add 1-2 potatoes, and a handful each of green peas and corn or mixed veggies. I also use Better Then Bullion in place of the beef broth to save on cost and dried parsley.