Tuscan Soup... requested by a guy that hates soup!

Last time... "My guys don't eat soup. One night I was making this soup for my step-mother who wasn't feeling well. My son and husband were in the back of the house playing the play station. They came into the kitchen asking what the terrific smell was... Needless to say, I had to make another batch of soup!"
This time the hubby actually asked me to make this soup!  I decided to make it a little heartier. I used Kielbasa because that was all I had on hand. I added large chunks of mushrooms and a teaspoon of minced garlic. I also a cup of evaporated milk. The basic recipe is listed below. Fell free to add or take out what you'd like!

Tuscan Soup

6 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
3 (3.5 ounce) links Johnsonville Italian sausage
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

Remove skin from sausage and crumble into frying pan. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Place meat in a large pot; add stock and potatoes. Boil until potato is cooked. 
Add spinach. Continue boiling until spinach is lightly cooked. Remove soup from heat, stir in evaporated milk, and season to taste.

Sausage, Onion and Greek Potatoes

This is always a good recipe when the pantry and frig get low. With three basic ingredients, it's quick and easy! It's also a good meal for the meat and potatoes man/woman in the house!

1 pound of Kielbasa Sausage, sliced

4 or 5 potatoes, boiled and cut into slices

1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic

Oil

Lemon Juice

Cavendar's Greek Seasoning

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Saute sausage and potatoes in a cast iron frying pan in a little oil over a medium heat... just enough oil to keep it from sticking, because the sausage will render some fat. Cook until sausage and potatoes take on some good color... about 15-20 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Sprinkle well with lemon juice, and add about 2 tbsp of Greek seasonings. Toss and transfer the frying pan to the oven, and cook at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Chicken Bog

Chicken Bog is a pilau dish made of rice, chicken, onion, celery, spices, and often sausage. A whole chicken is boiled until tender with the sausage, onion, celery and spices, then the rice is added and cooked until it absorbs all the liquid. When I cook this for a large crowd, I create a lot of short cuts that save me time. One thing to remember is that the longer you cook this dish, the thicker and drier it gets. I like to cook mine to the consistency in the picture. I don't like mine thick and gummy, but it's your choice. Here's the scaled down version of my Chicken Bog recipe...

10-12 Chicken Tenders, cubed
1 pkg Kielbasa Sausage
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
8 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
2 cups rice
Kosher Salt, to taste

Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces. In a stockpot, combine sausage, onion, butter, and seasonings. Cook until the sausage is browned. Add the chicken, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook at a low boil for 30 minutes. Taste broth for saltiness and add salt, to taste. Add the rice to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring well. Boil for 10 minutes, (stirring occasionally) then reduce the heat. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice is done. 

Sausage, Onion and Potatoes

This is always a good recipe when when the pantry and frig get low. With three basic ingredients, it's also quick and easy! It's also a good meal for the meat and potatoes man/woman in the house!

1 pound of Kielbasa Sausage, sliced

4 or 5 red potatoes, boiled and cut into chunks

1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Saute in a frying pan in a little oil over a medium heat... just enough oil to keep it from sticking, because the sausage will render some fat. Cook until sausage and potatoes take on some good color... about 15-20 minutes.