Home-Made Cream of Mushroom Soup (Condensed)

I see "cream of mushroom soup" on the recipe and hit "next" - but many of the easy family friendly recipes that I love call for cream of mushroom soup.

My goal is to make more things from scratch, so when I am able, I use this recipe to replace the canned kind. It only takes about 5 extra minutes to make this before you need it for a recipe - so worth the yummy, home-made taste! Freeze leftovers in individual packs for next time.

If you're like me and tend to skip recipes because they call for condensed soup, here's a recipe for you so you don't have to skip those recipes any more!

Home-Made Cream of Mushroom Soup (Condensed)

1/2 cup Butter

1 cup Onion, minced

2 clove Garlic, minced

2 cups Mushrooms, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 cup Flour

2 cups Mushroom (or vegetable) Broth

2 cups Milk

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook until onions start to brown. Add garlic and stir well for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and seasonings and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for at least 1 minute then add broth and milk. Cook until thickened.

Replace your can of Mushroom Soup in a recipe with 10 oz (about 1 & 1/4 cups) of this condensed soup. Freeze in single use containers for future recipes. Makes about 4 cans.

To use this as a meal, add equal amounts of milk to condensed soup and add more salt (to taste) because I've purposefully left out some salt (assuming I'm adding some in the end recipe).

Yummy home-made mushroom soup without the "what's in that" factor. Now back to that recipe calling for Mushroom Soup...

For more Freezer Friendly ideas for your Big Cook Day, check out my Freezer Meals page.

~Adel~

Thai Peanut Chicken

Sometimes the fridge isn't exactly full and there aren't many options for dinner. Today I had chicken legs/thighs in the freezer and not much in the fridge to go with it, so it was a scrounging in the pantry day. Here's what I came up with and it was delicious, so I thought I'd share.

Thai Peanut Chicken

Chicken pieces (any kind you want)

2 cups Sweet Thai Chili sauce

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or natural if you have it, smooth works fine too)

3 Tbsp Lime Juice

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce

Place Chicken in a oven safe dish in a single layer.

Combine chili sauce, peanut butter, lime juice and fish sauce in a microwavable dish. Microwave for 1 minute to melt peanut butter and stir well. Pour over chicken and bake in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken reads 170 F for breasts and 180 F for thighs/legs with a meat thermometer. Serve with rice or pasta. This meal freezes well and could be made in the slow cooker (add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours).

Easy and delicious chicken.

For more Freezer Friendly ideas for your Big Cook Day, check out my Freezer Meals page.

~Adel~

Leftover Lamb Pie

We had Roasted Lamb and I made WAY too much so here's a fabulous recipe for using up the leftovers.

4 Potatoes (I use yellow potatoes), cut into 1" chunks

3 Carrots, cut into 1" chunks

1 Yam (the orange one), cut into 1 " chunks

1 Sweet Potato (the white one), cut into 1 " chunks

4 cups Lamb, cooked & diced (use left over from Roasted Lamb)

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 cup Flour

1 Onions, diced

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 bottle (about 1 & 1/2 cups) Red Wine

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 Tbsp Rosemary (dried or fresh)

1/2 tsp Thyme (dried or fresh)

 1 package pie pastry (with two shells, defrosted) or make your own or 1/2 pkg puff pastry

Preheat oven to 350 F. Boil cut potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes, strain. Toss potatoes, carrots, yams & sweet potatoes together with 2 Tbsp Olive Oil and 1/2 tsp salt and spread on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until everything is tender.

While the veggies are roasting, toss cubed lamb with flour. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet. Brown lamb until it has a nice golden crust on all the pieces. Set aside in a separate dish.

In the skillet (used for browning the meat), cook onions until slightly browned. Return lamb to skillet and add garlic, wine, tomato paste, onion powder, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add roasted veggies once they are done.

Prepare pie plate. If using pie pastry, line the bottom of the plate with one and save one for the top. If you are using puff pastry for the top, just grease the pan.

Add the lamb filling to the prepared pie shell or plate. Cover with 2nd pastry or puff pastry. Cut a few holes for steam to escape. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes then cut and serve.

This recipe easily doubles and freezes well.

mmmm....lamb pie! 

For more Freezer Friendly ideas for your Big Cook Day, check out my Freezer Meals page.

~Adel~