French Onion and Mushroom Soup

This is your classic French onion soup with mushrooms and some balsamic vinegar to add some sweetness. This recipe includes homemade croutons and has about 6 servings. I found that you don’t need a kitchen torch or use your broiler for topping the soup with croutons and cheese. You can make small piles of croutons, top with the cheese of your choice and bake to get the same effect. This recipe is gluten free and dairy free if you chose not to include the cheese.


Potato and Leek Soup

I got the inspiration for this recipe from my sister-in-law Emily which can be found on bubba and bean She is probably the best cook I have ever met and I have learned so much from her, so make sure to check out her blog 🙂 This recipe is basically a 1 pot dish and the leftovers make great weekday lunches. Make sure you have an immersion blender handy. This recipe is gluten and dairy free.


Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This is basically my homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, minus the noodles. If you want noodle then aim for gluten free noodles made with either rice or quinoa. Instead of baking the chicken you could opt for a rotisserie chicken which would save some time. I found that sage and french thyme are my favorite herbs for this soup but you could try others.


Beef and Vegetable Stew

I am a huge fan of cooking stews but the trick is searing the stew meat and cooking for a long time so the meat becomes tender. Sweet potatoes also add a lot of flavor and you can modify by adding different root vegetables to the recipe. If you can find or make your own bone broth then use it, otherwise go with some good quality beef broth. Also don’t cheap out on the red wine, make sure you get some that you would enjoy drinking with the stew.


Butternut Squash and Ground Beef Chili

A staple of fall cooking this chili recipe is loaded with vegetables and protein. Anyway I can incorporate butternut squash into a recipe just adds to increased flavor in the dish. Adding balsamic vinegar to the serving bowls is another trick of Laura’s sister and adds some sweetness. This recipe holds up well in the fridge and could easily be doubled if you are cooking for a large number of people.


Mexican Chili

If you are big fan of Mexican food like we are then give this recipe a try. This recipe is easy to make and the chicken can be left out or substituted with pork or ground beef. You can also make it spicier by adding some pickled jalapeño peppers and roasted poblano peppers. If you are okay with dairy then top with some queso fresco and sour cream.

Mexican Chili