Being the creative person I am, I enjoy reading through many recipes and then putting together my own variation. There are other ways to go about it for thickness, or to be more healthy (pffffft….yeah right), so go at it as you wish! But through a handful of trials over the years I found that the roasted broccoli and garlic is the key to this homemade soup. After trying this, you won’t want any other store-bought broccoli and cheddar.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breast
•  2 broccoli crowns
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 3 or 4 cloves of unpeeled garlic
• Jalapeño pepper
• 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Big pinch of parmesan cheese
• Chives chopped
• 1/2c flour
• 1/3c butter
• 1 -1/2c whole or 2% milk
• 3 cans chicken broth
• Refill one can with water
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• Salt
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Set oven at 375. Break broccoli apart from its natural formation, then cut those pieces down into 2 or 3 chunks depending on the size of the floret. You want big pieces to soak up the cheesy goodness.
2. Start roasting your broccoli, chicken, and garlic. Evenly coat broccoli with olive oil in a pan and place on the top rack of the oven until the tops are singed a dark brown. Drizzle olive oil over your chicken in a separate glass dish and put in the oven. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil and place them directly on the oven rack. By the time the broccoli and garlic are done after about 30 minutes, the chicken will be fine to remove from the oven to cool as well.
3. While roasting, sauté your onions on medium low heat in olive oil with a little salt to sweat the flavor. Stir occasionally until caramelized a golden brown.
4. Turn a large crockpot on low and slow, and mix in your chicken broth, water, milk, and butter. Let it heat up for at least 30 minutes before you whisk in flour. Cut broccoli, onions, and chicken cut into pieces once they are cooled, and add to mix. Add minced jalapeño and squeeze roasted garlic out of its clove into soup. Lastly, put in cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Let soup cook on low for at least 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes (or not, it’ll still be good). Top with parmesan and chives. Snuggle up and enjoy. Serves 6-8.

This chili is a blend of ground turkey, 3 different types of canned beans, canned tomatoes, canned corn, and seasoning packets, all simmered together in an instant pot until tender and flavorful. This is the easiest way to make chili and everyone will think you spent all day on it! There’s nothing better than a big bowl of bold flavorful chili that’s ready in no time at all. This is a great recipe that could be made with ingredients you already have in your pantry. This easy Instant Pot Turkey Chili recipe is delicious, hearty, and perfect for chilly weather! I look forward to making this chili because there’s always plenty of leftovers. 

Ingredients:

• 16 oz ground turkey
•  2 cans of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 packet of Old El Paso low sodium taco seasoning mix
• 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing seasoning mix 

Directions:

1. Sauté the ground turkey until it is browned (don’t drain). Add the cans of beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and seasonings. Turn the Instant Pot to “chili” and cook!
2. Once cooked, allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes or quick release with the vent. Serve the chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Serves 5-6. Note: This can also be made in a traditional soup pot on the stove!

Seafood provides one of the highest-quality sources of protein on the market. An average 3.5-ounce serving of yellowfin tuna, for example, contains 23.8 grams of protein — more than half the daily requirement for women and close to half for men. Seafood also contains less connective tissue, which makes it easier to digest than other protein meats.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds firm fish, cut into 1-inch squares
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 quart boiling water
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 2 whole dried red pepper pods
• 1 -1/2 cups diced potatoes

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat. Remove bacon and set aside. Remove all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat from pan. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add water, tomatoes, salt, thyme, marjoram and pepper. Bring to boil.
2. Add potatoes and cook until about half done, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add fish.
3. Lower heat and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Place in soup bowls. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over top just before serving. Serves 8-10.