Meal #5

Meal number five - Thursday dinner

This soup was made up almost entirely of freezer stuff!
I used up:

2 qt bags chopped asparagus
1 qt bag carrot "coins"
one large container of "mystery" soup (turned out to be mostly beef and mushrooms from a crock pot roast)
the rest of the rump roast from yesterdays dinner
the rest of the large can of cream of mushroom soup from yesterdays lunch
leftover broccoli and rice soup from earlier this week
some other random leftovers that just happened to contain broccoli, beef and rice

In an attempt to do more then just dump it all in a pot, I diced up the rump roast, tossed it with some flour and salt and pepper, and fried it in some hot olive oil. It gave the meat a nice crunch even after it was added to the soup! But after that - I literally dumped everything in a big pot, added a few cups of water and just let it bubble away. I have to say - I thought it turned out to be pretty good. And these leftovers are going to make a fantastic beef pot pie tomorrow!

Dessert is in the oven - although it looks like we might be having some more soup. I'm attempting to make a kind of rhubarb strawberry crumble to use up some more freezer stuff. Only problem in we're missing some of the key ingredients for a crumble... and there is way to much liquid since everything was frozen. If I leave it in there long enough it might turn into something that doesn't have to be eaten with a spoon! I'll keep you posted...

Creamy Italian Chicken on Rice

I love this dish! It's simple to make, has only a few ingredients, will easily feed a lot of people and is almost as good as Mac n' Cheese is the comfort food department!

You just need:

- Boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I prefer thigh or leg meat for the added flavor from the higher fat content)
- Italian "dressing" seasoning packets OR dried oregano, dried basil, granulated garlic, paprika, salt and pepper
-Canned Cream of Mushroom soup
-Sour cream
-Cooked rice

Cut the chicken into bit size pieces and spread evenly in a greased oven proof pan. Sprinkle chicken evenly with Italian "Dressing" Seasoning or your preferred combination of the alternative seasonings. Add the Cream of Mushroom soup by plopping it across the pan and then spreading it with a spatula to cover the chicken. Cover with foil to prevent browning and bake at 350 until the chicken is cooked through. When cooked, remove from the oven and stir in the sour cream to create a smooth creamy sauce. Reheat for a bit if needed to be able to serve hot. Serve over cooked rice with lots of extra sauce! The sauce and rice can help the chicken go a long way. Can be served with steamed veggies or a big green salad.
Can be frozen and reheated BEFORE sour cream is added.