Chili Cheese Fries

I had bar food on my brain. Not sure how it got there but I was dreaming of potato skins, nachos, sliders… and chili cheese fries. Nothing beats a bowl on a cold day, sure… but put it over crispy potatoes and top it with a creamy, ooey-gooey cheese sauce, and well… Hey, it’s bar food time!

Chili Cheese Fries

Load ‘Em Up

You could keep going with the toppings on chili cheese fries. Yeah, throw some sliced jalapenos on there, sure. Some sour cream? Yeah. Whatever you want, it can go on there because there aren’t any rules when it comes to bar food. I know because I’ve eaten my share of bar food. Bar food is meant to be decadent, over-the-top good.

You could make this same dish with crispy, hot baked (or fried) tater tots. In fact, now that I thought of that, I’ll be doing that next. There’s nothing better than hot loaded fries or tots.

I cooked and served these fries on my cast iron fajita skillet. It’s easy to clean up (even with the melted cheese) and it looks great.

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To really kick these up, top them with my prime rib chili!

This recipe is based on a recipe from Small Town Woman.

Chili Cheese Fries
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5 from 1 vote

Chili Cheese Fries

Nothing beats chili on a cold day
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, fries
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 199kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the fries

  • 26 ounce frozen French fries
  • 4 cups chili I made a batch of Carrol Shelby's chili, but you can use your own recipe or even canned chili, whichever you prefer
  • other toppings optional, consider adding sliced jalapenos, sour cream, whatever you like!

For the cheese sauce

Instructions

For the fries

  • Prepare the fries per package instructions. Meanwhile make the cheese sauce (below).
  • Serve fries topped with chili, cheese sauce and whatever favorite toppings you prefer.

For the cheese sauce

  • Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
  • Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
  • Add the garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder and whisk to combine.
  • While whisking, slowly add in the milk. Let the sauce come to a simmer and stir to thicken.
  • Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese until smooth, creamy and melted. If the sauce gets too thick stir in a bit more milk.

Notes

For a good kick, use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar.

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1350IU | Vitamin C: 144mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Fantastic Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

For years and years I’ve seen TV chefs and restaurant cooks making spaghetti sauce from scratch. And yet for some reason, I never did it… until now. This fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce blew me away. Not only is it easy to make (with ingredients I almost always have in my pantry and fridge) it tastes absolutely amazing. I’ll never have any other pasta sauce again. Ever.

Fantastic Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Fantastically Easy And Tasty

You can make this fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce without adding either the meatballs or Italian sausage and it’s still out-of-this-world great. I happen to like them, so I added them. This is a great pantry sauce and one I’ll make again and again, and the meat can be optional.

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Fantastic Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Fantastic Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce blew me away. Not only is it easy to make (with ingredients I almost always have in my pantry and fridge) it tastes absolutely amazing.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword sauce, spaghetti
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 360kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
  • Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
  • Add tomatoes and tomato paste.
  • Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add sausages and meatballs and stir until the meat is coated and heated. If using frozen meatballs make sure they get completely warmed through.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Reduce heat to a slow simmer.
  • Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce gets too thick add a splash of water and stir.
  • Serve over cooked pasta.

Notes

Store leftover sauce in the fridge. The sauce can be frozen for later use.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 710mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 662IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Easy French Onion Burgers

They’re not anything fancy. Heck, you might even consider them to be ‘kids’ food. But for some reason I really, really enjoyed these easy French onion burgers. I made mine on the grill, but you can just as easily make them on the stovetop. Think of them as French dip burgers in a way. The patties soak up some of that French onion yumminess. And just in case you want more, there’s a little bowl of more French onion on the side for dippin’. And I did a lot of dippin’, I tell ya!

Easy French Onion Burgers

The Key To These Burgers Is…

The key to these easy French onion burgers is to not overcook the patties before they go into the soup to ‘finish’. Get them close to done, then remove them and let them go for a soupy swim to soak up all that great oniony flavor. The patties will come out juicy, dripping good stuff, ready to devour!

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This recipe is based on a recipe from Campbell’s.

Easy French Onion Burgers
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4 from 1 vote

Easy French Onion Burgers

The key to these easy French onion burgers is to not overcook the patties before they go into the soup to 'finish'.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword burgers, onion
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 512kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Shape the beef into 4 patties.
  • Season well with pepper.

On the grill

  • Fire up your grill for direct cooking 400 – 450 F.
  • Pour the soup into a pan and place on the grill near the direct heat so it begins to warm.
  • Grill burgers as desired but do not cook completely. When they reach around 140 F remove from the direct heat and transfer to the hot French onion soup.
  • Continue cooking the burgers in the soup until they reach 165 F.
  • Remove the patties and place on the bun bottoms.
  • Top with cheese and bun tops.
  • Serve with soup on the side for dipping, if desired.

On the stovetop

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the burgers and cook on both sides until medium rare, around 140 F.
  • Spoon out any fat from the skillet and stir in the soup.
  • Continue to cook the burgers in the hot soup until they reach 165 F, another 5-10 minutes.
  • Remove the patties and place on the bun bottoms.
  • Top with cheese and bun tops.
  • Serve with soup on the side for dipping, if desired.

Notes

Like like to serve these like French dip sandwiches. Just dip in the soup and get to eatin’!

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 719mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Prime Rib Chili

Prime rib chili is one of those things that just sort of happened. With the end of winter in sight I decided to start rummaging around in the freezer for anything I needed to use up. I came across a nice rib roast that I’d forgotten about. I’d picked up a few of them last time they were on sale. They were so cheap in fact that I didn’t mind using a slightly more expensive cut of meat in a chili. And boy, does prime rib ever make for a fantastic chili. Great beefy flavor and of course tender as you can get.

Prime Rib Chili

It’s About The Prime Rib

Other than the prime rib, this chili is pretty much your standard fantastic chili. I really love poblanos in a chili. To make them extra special I roast them on the grill or under the broiler first. For the same reason, I prefer fire-roasted tomatoes in my chili. That char adds a lot of flavor.

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This chili is crazy good on cheese fries.

Also try my over the top smoked chili and some of Fat Johnny’s goulash.

Prime Rib Chili
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3.50 from 2 votes

Prime Rib Chili

Prime rib chili is one of those things that just sort of happened. And boy, does prime rib ever make for a fantastic chili. Great beefy flavor and of course tender as you can get.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, prime rib
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 376kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Season the beef well with the salt and pepper.
  • Working in batches, heat some of the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat and add the beef. Brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes, and remove to a plate.
  • Add the onion to the Dutch oven and cook 5 minutes.
  • Add the poblano and cook another 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  • Stir in the chili powder, cumin and coriander and cook another 3 minutes.
  • Add the broth, tomatoes and cooked beef.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.
  • Add the beans and simmer another 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice.
  • Serve topped with cheese and garnished with cilantro.

Notes

Also great with some hot cornbread.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 709mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 724IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

I was addicted to Sloppy Joes as a kid. And I’m still addicted as an ‘adult’. I don’t walk by the Sloppy Joe cans or mixes at the grocery store and think, “kids stuff”. No, I think to myself, “self, that sounds fantastic.”. Making Sloppy Joes at home is about as easy as it can get, and this recipe here for using it to make Sloppy Joe French bread pizza takes that old classic and makes it truly fantastic. I could eat a scary amount of this pizza.

As a kid I’d go the playground after mom would make me Sloppy Joes for lunch. As an adult I… uh… well, I don’t do that. I might work out in the yard later but right now I’m going to sit back and recall my yummy pizza.

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

Pizza Perfection

What can I say about this recipe for Sloppy Joe French bread pizza? Make it. Just go make it. That’s all. Ok, don’t overcook the onion and peppers. That’s the only thing I can come up with. It’s perfect as it is. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I loved Sloppy Joes as a kid and I still love those same flavors today.

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Also try my quick fix French bread pizza.

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza
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5 from 1 vote

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

Making Sloppy Joes at home is about as easy as it can get, and this recipe here for using it to make French bread pizza takes that old classic and makes it truly fantastic. I could eat a scary amount of this pizza.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword French bread, pizza
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 556kcal

Ingredients

For the Sloppy Joe mixture

For the French bread pizza

  • 1 loaf French bread cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 ½ cups Colby Jack cheese shredded

Instructions

For the Sloppy Joe mixture

  • Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until it just starts to brown. Drain off any excess grease.
  • Add the onion and pepper and stir. Cook until the beef is completely done and the vegetables just start to soften. You want them to still have a little crunch to them.
  • Add the remaining Sloppy Joe mixture ingredients. Stir. If the mixture is too dry add a small amount of water.
  • Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

For the French bread pizza

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Place the bread on a large baking sheet lined with foil.
  • Divide the Sloppy Joe mixture between the bread halves. It's not time to be shy. You want it thick and you want it crust-to-crust.
  • Sprinkle with the cheese.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bread starts to brown and is lightly crunchy. The cheese should be nice and melted.
  • Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes then slice and serve.

Notes

You can substitute your favorite cheese for the Colby.

Nutrition

Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 895mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Christmas Stocking Pizzas

True story: If you leave out Christmas stocking pizzas for Santa Claus you’ll get two times as many presents than you would if you leave out just milk and cookies! Trust me on this! Santa will appreciate your efforts and reward you nicely. These little pizzas make for a great holiday-time project. They’re quite easy to make, and rather fun to boot. It’s an excellent treat for young and old alike!

Fun To Make… And Eat!

You can make your Christmas stocking pizzas with whatever toppings you like, of course. We liked how the mini pepperoni and the Italian sausage ones looked. And tasted. They didn’t last, that’s for sure. You want to use smaller-sized toppings since the pizzas aren’t that large!

You’ll need a template to make the pizzas. Ours is just over 5″ tall when printed. Just download the picture below and print it. If you want to make smaller (or bigger) pizzas just size the graphic in your favorite editing software.

Christmas stocking

Happy Holidays!

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Get the real stuff.

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4 from 1 vote

Christmas Stocking Pizzas

If you leave out Christmas stocking pizzas for Santa Claus you'll get two times as many presents than you would if you leave out just milk and cookies!
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword Christmas, pizza
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 223kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pre-made pizza dough If frozen defrost overnight in the fridge then let come to room temperature on the countertop for 2 hours before using.
  • pizza sauce
  • mozzarella cheese shredded
  • mini pepperonis
  • Italian sausage Cooked and crumbled. If using links remove from casings before cooking. I like to pulse my cooked sausage in a food processor a few times to get it nice and finely crumbled.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven per package instructions. Prepare 2 large baking sheets, if required (some pre-made doughs require that you first grease the pans).
  • Print out the stocking template and cut around the edges.
  • Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Place the template onto the dough and cut around the edges. We found that a sharp-tipped knife or kitchen scissors worked best.
  • Transfer the dough to a baking pan. Keep making stockings until you're out of dough. We were able to get 5 out of a 1 pound dough but that took some thinking as we moved the pattern around. You can easily get 4 stockings without much worry.
  • Add toppings as desired. For a few we used sauce, mini pepperoni and then cheese all over. For the rest we used sauce and sausage, with cheese just at the top.
  • Bake until the dough is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly.
  • Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

These are fun. You gotta make them at least once!

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 656mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Fat Johnny’s Goulash

It’s getting cold outside. And that means it’s time for stick-to-your-ribs good food. Like Fat Johnny’s goulash. Simple ingredients. Easy to prepare. And delicious results. And I do mean delicious. Make a double batch. You’ll love it so much you won’t even notice how cold it is. This is the tastiest goulash I’ve ever had. I’ll never need a recipe for any other kind.

Fat Johnny's Goulash

Don’t Mess With Perfection

I almost changed a few things when I made this. Like substituting a pound of Italian sausage for some of the ground beef. Like maybe using some different pasta. Wisely, my wife talked me out of messing with perfection and I followed the recipe to a ‘T’. I admit it, she was right. This time. (Don’t tell her I said that!)

This recipe comes from Chez John, aka Fat Johnny. Check out Chez John’s blog. It’s full of fantastic dishes like his Fat Johnny’s goulash plus countless many, many others. Heck, it’s too cold to go outside, best sit inside where it’s warm and look at food porn!

Don’t let the final simmer go too long. You want the pasta to just be done.

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What would be good with this dish? Some of Fat Johnny’s cheesy cornbread, that’s what!

Fat Johnny's Goulash
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5 from 1 vote

Fat Johnny’s Goulash

It’s getting cold outside. And that means it’s time for stick-to-your-ribs good food. Like Fat Johnny’s goulash!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword goulash
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 322kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta per package instructions and drain well.
  • Brown the ground beef in a Dutch oven or medium pot.
  • Add the onion, peppers and garlic.
  • Add salt, pepper to taste along with the Italian seasoning.
  • Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the pasta sauce and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the pasta and simmer another 5 minutes.
  • Serve.

Notes

Even better the next day!

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Indiana Chili

When I first moved to the mid-west I had no clue what Indiana chili was. And when I found out what it was, I was confused. Isn’t pasta in chili sorta kinda the same as spaghetti meat sauce? Well, no, no it’s not. It’s actually pretty darned good. I admit it, I’ve come around to the idea and on a cold, windy winter day, it’s the perfect dish for warming you up and recharging you. Hey, you need all the energy you can get when shoveling your driveway!

Indiana Chili

The Cincinnati Version

You can make this Indiana chili Cincinnati-ish by adding a pinch of cinnamon. That was another twist that was new to me when I moved here. Adding cinnamon to a chili is another thing that has grown on me. It has to be subtle, but I love the flavor in a great chili like this one.

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Speaking of Cincinnati (and the surrounding areas), stop by a Skyline Chili when you’re in the area and order some Indiana chili. They do know how to make chili!

Also try my Texas-style chili. It’s definitely a different take on chili than this mid-west favorite!

Indiana Chili
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5 from 1 vote

Indiana Chili

You can make this Indiana chili Cincinnati-ish by adding a pinch of cinnamon. That was another twist that was new to me when I moved here. Adding cinnamon to a chili is another thing that has grown on me.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chili
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 1557kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Season the ground beef with salt and pepper.
  • Brown in a large pot or Dutch oven.
  • Add the onion and cook until just softened.
  • Drain and remove to a bowl.
  • Add the beans, tomato sauce and 4 cans of water to the large pot or Dutch oven.
  • Add the chili seasoning, chili powder, sugar, and pepper flakes.
  • Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add the browned ground beef and onion. Stir.
  • Bring to a slow boil and let simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente (generally 2 minutes less than the time stated on the box). Drain.
  • Once the chili is done stir in the pasta and serve.

Notes

Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 1557kcal | Carbohydrates: 255g | Protein: 83g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 14198mg | Potassium: 9177mg | Fiber: 61g | Sugar: 111g | Vitamin A: 6514IU | Vitamin C: 118mg | Calcium: 501mg | Iron: 34mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Mushroom Ravioli

My wife and I both enjoyed this simple mushroom ravioli dish so much that we ended up making it three times in one week. I picked up a few packages of fresh cheese-filled ravioli plus a few other fresh ingredients at the store and in no time we had a great dinner.

You could use any ravioli you like. I felt that cheese-filled worked best with the mushrooms, spinach and (a favorite) sun-dried tomatoes. We liked a bit of freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled over the tops just before serving. You can leave that out.

Mushroom Ravioli

Easy. And Delicious.

You definitely don’t want to overcook the ravioli. Take them out of the water a minute before the package tells you too. They will finish cooking in the pan later. These mushroom ravioli are really easy to make and turn out absolutely delicious. They’re a great easy dinner.

This recipe is also great with tortellini or just ‘plain’ pasta.

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The sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this show.

Mushroom Ravioli
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4.50 from 2 votes

Mushroom Ravioli

We enjoyed this simple mushroom ravioli dish so much that we ended up making it three times in one week. I picked up a few packages of fresh cheese-filled ravioli plus a few other fresh ingredients at the store and in no time we had a great dinner.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword mushroom, ravioli
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 601kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook ravioli until just barely done, a minute less than the package instructions.
  • Drain well.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add the sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms.
  • Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the spinach, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
  • Stir and keep stirring until the spinach has wilted completely.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Add in the ravioli and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir gently.
  • Cook until the ravioli is done.
  • Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

You can use any fresh ravioli you like in this dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1168mg | Potassium: 1622mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 6888IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 19mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Celery and Cheddar Soup

Sometimes, I just want something easy, something hassle-free, for a nice lunch on a cold day. No troubles, but flavorful. This celery and cheddar soup takes only a few minutes to put together, and just a few hours to cook in a slow cooker. When it’s done, you get to enjoy a creamy, smooth cheesy soup that has a wonderful hint of celery. This soup does not skimp on flavor. It looks deceptively fancy, but it’s so easy to make.

Celery and Cheddar Soup

Use Different Peppers For Different Flavors

The only change I’d make to this celery and cheddar soup would be to substitute a 4 ounce jar of pimentos (drained) for the red bell pepper. Sometimes in winter good bell peppers can be hard to find. Pimentos (or chopped jarred roasted red peppers) make for a great substitute. I also like to use roasted red peppers as a substitute. They come in jars and can be found near the pickles in the grocery store.

Every time I make a recipe that calls for shredded cheese I remember how happy I am that I bought a cheese grater/shredder. No more of that pre-shredded stuff for me. It doesn’t melt right.

Geedel Rotary Cheese Grater, Kitchen Mandoline…
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You can also make this soup on the stovetop. Just bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes.

Also try my homemade creamy cheddar soup.

Celery and Cheddar Soup
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Celery and Cheddar Soup

This celery and cheddar soup takes only a few minutes to put together, and just a few hours to cook in a slow cooker. When it’s done, you get to enjoy a creamy, smooth cheesy soup that has a wonderful hint of celery. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword celery, cheddar, soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 317kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all but the half and half and green onion into a slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
  • Stir in the half and half and heat another 30 minutes.
  • Serve garnished with green onion.

Notes

For a spicier version, cut back on the cheddar and add a little pepper jack cheese instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 753mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1489IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 464mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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