The Best Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup

Today, I'll be sharing with you a family recipe for the best three cheese lasagna soup. I love recipes that aren't super time-consuming. 

Being a mom, anything that saves you time is a life saver. Plus, this isn't a very spicy recipe and my kids loved it just as much as the adults did. We made it for our small group for church.

 However, we all had to try a little bowl before serving it. I'm very happy with the results and hopefully, it will become a new family favorite for you and yours as well. 

The Best Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

19 oz ground Italian sausage, hot or mild. 
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
1/2 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 Tsp. onion powder
1/2 Tsp. kosher salt
1/2 black pepper
8 oz dried campanelle pasta (Bell Shape)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 basil leaves, chopped fine

Directions:

In a large skillet over high heat, brown sausage. Making sure to break apart into small bite size pieces, until fully cooked or no pink is left. Drain well. 

In a large (12 quart) pot over medium heat add tomatoes, paste, sauce, seasonings, onion powder, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Once sausage is done, add to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. 

We cooked our pasta in a separate pot and was unable to find the campanelle shells, so we used two boxes of DaVinci signature tortellini which is a tomato & three cheese filled pasta. Two boxes because we wanted to double the recipe. You'd just be using one box if not doubling. 

 Once water is boiling add pasta, cook uncovered, until it is al dente or about 7-9 minutes. Turn of heat and drain. 

Once our sausage mixture was boiling we transferred that to the crock pot and separated the liquid from the sausage mix. Added enough juice to fill the crock pot and discarded the rest. 

Then added our sausage mix and pasta. We did it this way because we didn't want a real soupy mix. We wanted it to have equal amounts of liquid to sausage mix ratio. 

Once in the crock pot, we added the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Stir well to combine.

Sprinkle top with freshly chopped basil leaves and enjoy. 

Serve with warm Artisan bread, sliced and homemade garlic butter.

Mexican Bean Salad

A yummy, spicy and family favorite! 

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn kernels

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper

1 dash hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onions. 

2. In a small bowl. whisk together olive oil. red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin. and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder. 

3. Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables, mix very well. Chill thoroughly, serve cold. 

Optional but I like to add fresh avocado to mine. Separate in my bowl. I don't recommend adding it to the whole mixture because it will turn all brown and ishy! 

I hope you enjoy the bean salad with your family! 

Easy Cheesy Broccoli Dip

Do you like broccoli? My kids hate it! However, I don't let that stop me from making this delicious cheesy broccoli queso dip. 

This is a great dip for entertaining a large group, one because it is rather inexpensive to make and two it is super easy. I feel like I say that in all my recipes but that seems to be the case. Either that or I just bend more towards the easy and simple. 

For this recipe, you are going to need some ingredients that may sound strange but hang with me. I was like soup and mayo? Are you crazy? It really is good! 

Ingredients:

2 C milk
1 C mayo
1 C sour cream
1 jar 16oz Ortega Salsa drained, or a salsa you prefer. 
2 C shredded cheese
1 bag of Broccoli soup mix

Directions:

In a large bowl add milk, mayo, sour cream and stir very well until mixed. 

Add drained salsa, shredded cheese, and soup mix. Stir again. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined. 

Transfer to an oven safe dish for baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins or until the cheese is good and melted. 

Serve with bread or chips. Refrigerate leftover dip. 

I'm now officially an author, Here's a preview of my cookbook Swine-Key Dishes!!

I have spent the last three months rummaging through all my families old recipes boxes. My goal was to create a cookbook that would be meaningful to my girls. Something they can use with their own families someday and tell their kids that Grandma made this cookbook for them. After going through so, so many, I realized that these recipes are really good but they are also not your typical recipes. I've tried to find recipes that would appeal to most people and families but also recipes that are maybe not the normal dinner dishes.

This cookbook has 99 pages of really good and what I would call family friendly recipes that are not only super easy to make but taste amazing. Your family will be excited about dinner for a change. If they are anything like my family, all the meals seem to be demanding and time-consuming. I didn't want to spend any more time in the kitchen than I had too. No offense, I love to cook but it has gotten to become a drag.

Well, hopefully, this cookbook will help. These are all recipes I know but don't ever make, no really sure why. I guess I just forgot about them in the everyday grind of life. I ordered a copy of it today and can't wait for you to get yours too!!

Let me know what you think? Are the recipes good? Is this cookbook stupid? All feedback is welcome. I know my first book ever is not going to please everyone or be perfect.

Thanks again for all of your support!

Purchase Your Own Copy Of Swine-Key Dishes Now!! 

How to order? 

Message me at pearlbeforeswine15@gmail.com

Spiral Cover $25 

Hard Cover $40

Shipping $5

How to roast fresh chiles at home.....and then make a red sauce with them!

How to Roast 

chiles at home

It’s easy in an oven, on top of a gas stove, or on an outdoor grill.

Let’s start with green chiles, the ones most frequently roasted. Plan on twenty minutes for oven roasting, putting the green chiles in a single layer on a baking sheet and blistering them at 450° F until the skins have blackened in many spots. Turn as needed for uniform scorching until the chiles look collapsed.

If you are only roasting a couple of pods, hold them with tongs over the flame of a gas burner for a few minutes, turning to blacken all over, or use an asador, a wire-mesh griddle.

On a gas or charcoal grill, place the green chiles on the grate over a hot fire, searing them on all sides for about ten minutes. 

Roast fresh red pods the same ways, but their higher moisture content will keep them from blistering and blackening as fully. To judge readiness, look for loosening skin and a deep brown shade.

How to steam and peel fresh chiles

After roasting chiles, steam them immediately to loosen the skins.

Place pods in a Ziploc plastic bag or a covered bowl and let them sit five to ten minutes or until cool enough to handle.

If dealing with any quantity of chile's, wear rubber gloves to avoid getting capsaicin (the substance that gives the pods heat) on your hands; it doesn't wash off easily and can irritate the skin.

Strip off the peel. You may find yourself wanting to run water over the chiles to help with the process since some peel is bound to stick. Don’t do it any more than absolutely necessary, however, because it dilutes flavor. Instead, rinse your gloved hands under the running water.

Remove stems and seeds unless you are planning to stuff the chiles, in which case it’s better to leave the stem and any seeds still attached to avoid weakening the pod.

Use the sauce in enchiladas, burritos, tamales, or smothered on top of basically anything. This sauce will keep up to 6 days refrigerated and freezes well.

Servings: 4 cups

• 8 ounces (about 20 to 25) dried whole red New Mexican chile pods, mild, medium, hot, or a combination. 
• 4 cups water or chicken stock (divided use)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons crumbled dried Mexican oregano, or marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Directions

Toast dried whole chile pods in a heavy skillet over medium heat until they are warm and release their fragrance, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Remove the chiles from the skillet immediately. When cool enough to handle, break each chile pod into several pieces (wearing rubber or plastic gloves if your skin is sensitive), discarding the stem and seeds.

Place half the chile pieces in a blender and pour in one-half of the water or stock. Puree until mostly smooth but with a few flecks of chile still visible in the liquid.

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté several minutes until the onion is limp.

Pour in the blended chile mixture, then add oregano and salt.

Puree the remaining chiles with the remaining water and pour it into the sauce in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for a total of 20 to 25 minutes.

After about 15 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust seasonings. When ready, the sauce will be cooked down enough to coat a spoon thickly but still drop off of it easily. 

Use warm or refrigerate for later use

It's National Pretzel Day!! Enjoy with this easy recipe! :)

Hot Buttered Pretzels

Yummy soft baked pretzels just like the ones at the mall. They are much better than the ones that you buy at the mall, and are so easy! They are cheaper to make at home too.

Ingredients 

All purpose flour 1-2 1⁄2 Ounce (for dough) 
Sea salt 1 Teaspoon (for dough) 
Sugar 1 Teaspoon (for dough) 
Instant yeast 2 1⁄4 Teaspoon (for dough) 
Warm water 1 1⁄2 Cup (24 tbs) (1 cup for dough  1/2 cup for topping) 
Baking soda 1 Tablespoon (for topping) 
Vegetable oil 1 Tablespoon (for greasing) 
Unsalted butter 3 Tablespoon

GETTING READY

1. Preheat oven to 500 degree.
2. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. You can also use parchment paper to line it.
3. For topping, in a bowl, whisk warm water and baking soda. Microwave for 1 minute, and keep it aside.
4. For dough, in stand mixer bowl, add flour, salt, sugar, and instant quick rise yeast.
5. Pour warm water in it, and stir with spatula to incorporate.
6. Then, using a dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on medium low for 5 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth, but not stick.
7. In a plastic bag, put the dough, and allow it to rise for about 30 minutes.
8. Remove the dough from plastic bag, and place it on oiled working counter.
9. Using a knife divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
10. Roll these pieces into long rope.
11. Shape each rope into pretzel, dip each pretzel in baking soda wash, and place it on baking sheet.
13. Sprinkle salt over it, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.
14. Place it in oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, or until pretzels are fluffy and golden brown.FINALIZING
15. Remove the sheet from oven, and brush butter over hot pretzel.
SERVING 4. 
Serve pretzel with hot tomato soup.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty Level: 
Medium
Cuisine: European
Preparation Time: 50 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 65 Minutes
Servings: 4