CONFESSION: Chicken soup is reserved only for when I’m sick. Much like 7-up and flat coca-cola, chicken soup just tastes like being sick to me when I’m healthy. I feel pretty much the same for all chicken broth-based soups. Conversely, when I’m not feeling well, there’s nothing better.

I prefer to make this with a whole chicken, making my own stock, but sometimes I just don’t have the time. Shortcut Wife Soup is actually quite easy if you’ve got the chicken stock to start with. I love the Kirkland Chicken Stock that we buy from Costco by the case. It’s not overly salty like Swanson’s, and has a richer flavor. The trick to it is seasoning it to your tastes. I prefer mine very heavy on the herbs, not so much with the salt, but again, I don’t really measure spices much, but this is how I made Wife Soup… this time around, anyway.

INGREDIENTS:

• Two chicken breasts (or one full split breast)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium-large carrots, diced
• 1 large potato, diced (seeing a theme here?)
• 1/2 small cabbage, chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic — yes, I said eight — crushed. Keep three or four separate.
• Ground Sage (a couple pinches)
• French Thyme (a couple pinches)
• Rosemary (yup, a couple pinches)
• Seasoned Salt (I prefer Penzey’s 4S Seasoned Salt) and Pepper to taste
• Fresh Parsley, chopped. I probably use about 1/4 cup. I love the stuff in this soup
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 64 oz. (2 cartons) of Chicken Stock
• Kluski Egg Noodles (if you can find them) or other egg noodles (I used No Yolks this time)

Put about 1 tbsp EVOO in the bottom of your soup pan. Add all but 3-4 of the crushed garlic cloves and the diced onion. Sauté until soft, then add the carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle with the ground sage and sauté for a couple minutes. Add one container of broth and the rest of the dried herbs and bring to a boil.

While this is going, dice the chicken breasts and toss with seasoned salt, pepper and some rosemary. Heat another tsbp of EVOO in a sauté pan an add the garlic when hot. Cook until it is a little soft but not browned and add the chicken. Cook until the outside of the chicken is browned slightly and add the chicken, herbs and oil to the soup base. Lower heat.

Add the second carton of chicken stock, the bay leaf and parsley. Add the cabbage and let simmer for 30 minutes, tasting frequently and adjusting the seasonings to your taste.

This is even better after the first night, but it’s really yummy right away.

When I bought the pork chops from Costco, I thought they were stacked two deep in the package. What I found when I opened the package was beautiful, impossibly thick chops that were begging to be stuffed.

QUICK TIP: StoveTop Stuffing is boring and salty on its own, but bulk it up with carrots, pears or apples, onions and celery and it cuts the saltiness down considerably. I start by putting a little butter or olive oil in a small pot. I sauté the vegetables (and apple/pear) until a little bit softened before adding  the vegetable or chicken stock (whatever I have around, in the quantity required for the recipe). I bring the veggies to a boil until the carrots are soft. From that point, just follow the box directions and you’re set!

I’ve also developed an obsession for squash soup thanks to Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks, a local produce service that we’ve had delivering new and exciting produce to us every other week. My secret to amazing squash soup?

1) Roast the squash with some red pepper, onions, olive oil and herbs

2) Blend with chicken or vegetable stock (I like a thicker soup, so I don’t use much)

3) Add a splash of half & half

4) LET IT SIT FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS. Seriously. The flavors in this need to blend and evolve.

I love this on its own or mixed with chunks of chicken breasts as a delicious saucy treat. I’m sad butternut squash is pretty much done for the season, but I did the same thing with a carnival squash and it was *almost* as good. Almost.

For the chili mac I add fresh shredded cheddar, a little tomato paste to punch up the tomato flavor, some no-salt-added canned tomatoes and lots of my own chili powder to Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper. I also sautéed some bell peppers and onions, tossing them into the mix when everything was cooked through.

I also love fancying up Jiffy Cornbread, which you can usually get for under 50¢ a package at the grocery store. I follow the instructions on the box, but add a few tablespoons of honey (you can eyeball it), frozen corn and some Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic.

Again, it’s nothing special, but who says every meal has to be special? Sometimes simple really hits the spot.

Yes, my dearhearts, this grown-up grilled cheese is exactly as good as it sounds. This recipe was born from the bargain bin. Two packages of brie, nearing their “sell-by” date, less than half price. Sign me up, right?

It was also born from a really bad day, and what better comfort food than macaroni and cheese? The end result was absolutely amazing. The saltiness of the bacon, the richness of the brie, the sweetness of gloriously caramelized onions… it all came together beautifully. Here’s how I made it:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb of pasta, cooked (I used a small bag of shells)
• 7oz of brie (remove the rind)
• 1/2 package of bacon, cut into bits
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 stick of butter, split in half
• 1/2 large sweet onion, sliced into strips or rings
• 1/2  tsp brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup milk

Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside for later.

In a small sauce pan, add half butter and sauté the onion with the brown sugar until caramelized. Remove onions but don’t clean the pan. Set aside.

Preheat your broiler. If you don’t have a broiler, preheat oven to 400º.

In the same pan, heat the rest of the butter and the garlic, and add the flour until combined. Add the milk and half & half, stirring continuously as you bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and add the brie little by little until everything is melty and combined.

Toss the pasta in a casserole dish with the sauce, the caramelized onions and half the bacon. Stir it all up and toss under the broiler for 15 minutes, or bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

When done, stir again. Serve with fresh bacon bits.

Recently I made a super cool discovery that’s made cooking with wine so much easier. It’s brilliant, really.

The common advice you’ll get about cooking with wine is “don’t cook with it if you wouldn’t drink it”, which is fine I suppose, but honestly? I can’t justify using an expensive wine in my dishes when the cheap stuff works brilliantly. If I’m making a meal for guests, sure, I’ll pop for a more pricey wine, but when I just want something for my husband and I to enjoy, the cheap stuff is just fine. However, I’ll give you this caveat: We’re not wine snobs AT ALL. We like Wild Vines as much as we like a good Moscato d’Asti. Take that as you will.

So anyway, our local grocery stores has these little baby bottles of Turning Leaf wines — about 2 glasses worth — for $1 apiece. I stocked up on a few white and a few reds and let me tell you, they are PERFECT for cooking!! Just enough for a recipe!

I’ve actually tried to make this before in the past, but I ended up reducing the sauce too much and ruining it all. The turkey had amazing flavor, infused with the wine, but I ended up destroying the sauce. Naturally, when I saw the turkey thighs in the discount meat bin again (<$2 for two!) I picked them up for round two.

This is no shortcut recipe, but it is really simple. It just involves occasionally babysitting while you go about your day. Also? I just made this recipe up. I call it Country French Turkey because the flavor reminds me of Chicken Tonight’s Country French sauce, but I don’t know how French it is. I just know it’s delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

• Two turkey thighs, skin-on
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 5 mushrooms, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• Thyme and Tarragon
• Salt & pepper
  
• 2 cups chicken/duck/poultry stock or broth (I used some of that duck stock I made a few weeks ago and froze)
  
• 1 baby bottle of Turning Leaf Pinot Noir
• Olive oil

Season the turkey breasts with a little salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with a thin film of olive oil and, when hot, place the turkey thighs skin side down. Add the onions and vegetables and cook until the turkey skin is browned. Add the stock and wine, a dash of tarragon and a dash of thyme (fresh is better, dried is fine). The liquid should cover the meat about 1/2 way. Bring to a slow boil, then simmer, covered, on low for about 2 hours, checking the liquid levels every 30 minutes or so (my downfall the first time I did this) and flipping the thighs over about halfway through.

Leave uncovered for the last half hour to help the sauce reduction along. Keep an eye on it at this point! When all is cooked, you can continue reducing the sauce or you can thicken it with a little cornstarch. I serve this with a white-and-wild rice mix, but it would also be awesome with garlic mashed potatoes. It’s beautiful comfort food and a super elegant meal that certainly doesn’t taste like it costs so little per serving!

Spaghetti Squash casserole is one of my signature dishes and definitely one of my favorite to make, especially when cooking for the week, when I spend a full day cooking and spread the leftovers over the course of the week. The flavor of this gets even richer when made the day before!

I love starting with a small spaghetti squash — a little squash goes a long way, so keep that in mind. My favorite squash are about 7″ long, which  makes enough for about 4 big servings. This is so heavily vegetable-based, this is great for big, light servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 baby eggplant, diced (I use half a small japanese eggplant and used the rest for a stir fry)
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 2 small carrots, diced
• 6 mushrooms, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
• One small–medium onion (depending how much you like onion), chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes)
• 1 lb lean ground beef

Using a very sharp chef’s knife, cut your squash in half. Scoop out the guts and seeds and throw them away. Take the halves of the squash and place them on a microwave safe dish, cut side down with a little bit of water for 6 minutes. If you can’t fit both on the plate, do one at a time. Let them cool while you’re prepping the veggies for roasting.

Toss the diced vegetables in some olive oil, a little salt and pepper and Italian herbs. Spread in a baking pan and roast for 15–20 minutes. While they’re roasting, brown and drain the ground beef.

Scoop the spaghetti strands out of the squash with a fork and place them in a mixing bowl. Combine all the roasted veggies, the meat, the can of tomatoes with juice, and half the shredded mozzarella in the bowl and mix well. Flavor with Italian Herbs (basil, oregano, etc). Place everything in a casserole dish and top with the remaining mozzarella.

Put the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, uncovered. The flavor is great right away, but it intensifies overnight! It’s also easy to make for groups, and taking the meat out makes it fantastic for vegetarians, or substituting chicken can make it even lighter.  Definitely one of my favorite recipes!

This actually wasn’t the plan when I picked up some pork cubed steaks from the discount meat bin, but when I started poking around for recipe ideas for cubed steak I felt silly for never considering it! Also, it’s ridiculous how easy this was to make. So easy that I’m sure this will become a regular meal in the house!

My shortcut? You know from my Shepherd’s Pie recipe that I never skimp on the mashed potatoes, but use a pressure cooker to make it clean and simple. Nope, the secret’s dry country gravy mix. Not only does using a dry gravy mix save a ton of time; it’s also much lighter than traditional gravy. You’ll be trading richness for quick-and-light, but there’s so much flavor in the steak, you won’t miss it. I promise.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cube steaks (pork or beef)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 turns fresh ground white pepper
• garlic salt (generously)
  
• 1 egg
• splash of half & half
• vegetable oil, fill the bottom of the pan about 1/3″
  

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl flat and deep enough to dredge. Mix egg and milk/cream in another.

Salt and pepper the cube steak before dredging in the egg wash, then dredge in flour mixture. Dredge again in egg then in flour to thicken the coating.

Heat oil until drop of batter sets it bubbling. Cook on each side ’til it’s browned, about 4–5 minutes per side, flipping with a pair of tongs when halfway done. When cooked through, lay the steaks on paper towel to soak up the moisture and grease.

For dinner serve with mashed potatoes; for breakfast serve with eggs and hash browns and smother with country gravy.

Bravado? Maybe a bit, but it’s true. My meatloaf, even when not in MEATCAKE! form, is the stuff of legend. Back when I made the MEATCAKE! I promised a recipe but failed to deliver. Today I give you my secret (modified from Mark Bittman’s recipe in How To Cook Everything). You’re welcome.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork (I usually buy country ribs—about $1/lb—and grind it myself)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I like Progresso’s Garlic and Herb breadcrumbs) soaked in
• 1/2 cup milk (until soggy; takes a few minutes)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 large cloves minced garlic
• Dash of Penzey’s Chicago Steak Seasoning
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced fine (optional)
• 1/2 green pepper, diced fine (optional)

Combine all the above ingredients well. And USE YOUR DAMN HANDS. Get ‘em messy. You can wash them. There’s no way to combine this well enough without using your hands. Form into a loaf and place in a bread pan (I use a silicone bread pan). Bake at 350ºF for about an hour, or until the internal temp is about 160ºF. Drain the grease and transfer to a cookie sheet to set.

KETCHUP GLAZE (from Black Widow Bakery, where I learned to make the MEATCAKE!):

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup dark brown sugar
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce

To make the glaze, heat ketcup, sugar and worcestershire sauce until combined. Spread over meatload. Clean your pan IMMEDIATELY afterward or it’ll be a pain to clean.

That’s it!! It’s super easy and so, so very good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Smoked Sausage, sliced
• 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 Poblano Pepper, cut in strips
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar

Sauté the sweet potatoes in a splash of vegetable oil until they start to become soft and add the smoked sausage and peppers. When the water has mostly evaporated, add the brown sugar and toss until coated.

Seriously, that’s it. It’s super easy and the combination is complex and delicious!

CONFESSION: To say my husband’s a little timid about cooking is an understatement. Still, occasionally he’s willing to tackle dinner, as long as he has VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS. This is the email I sent him to make this delicious beef stew. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe, just season to taste (I season generously with garlic salt, pepper and random herbs).

1. Clean carrots (peel if you want, it’s not necessary if they’re clean), cut into large chunks. All of them (yummm, carrots)
2. Clean potatoes, cut into large chunks (quarters). About half as many potatoes as carrots is a good margin (yummm, carrots)
3. Cut mushrooms in half if button, chunks if portobella
4. Peel and cut two red onions in quarters
5. Mince one full clove of elephant garlic (you can cut it in pieces and run it through the garlic press)
6. Use the Penzey’s beef roast seasoning. Read the directions and add 2x  the recommended amount of spice.
7. Up to you if you want to chop the meat into cubes. It can go in as one big slab and will break apart well enough.
8. Place potatoes and carrots and half of onions and garlic at bottom of crock pot with a sprinkling of the spices.
9. Add beef
10. Add the rest of the beef broth in the carton in the fridge (1 cup) and 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 can cream of celery
    
11. Add seasoning
12. Add mushrooms and second half of onions and garlic.
13. Heat on low ‘til I come home.

About 8 hours later we had awesome stew!! Because of the cream soups, this version isn’t a very rich gravy but it’s tasty and  full of flavor. Super easy!