Hearty Soup with Wild Rice, Chicken Breast and Autumn Vegetables


3 stalks of celery, diced fine
1/2 onion, diced very fine
2 medium carrots cut in slivers
2 T butter (I used real)
1 T canola oil
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (I cooked mine in my microwave roaster for 7 minutes)
2 chicken boulion cubes
5 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box Uncle Ben's Original Long Grain and Wild Rice (already prepared per box instructions)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp.Mrs. Dash Original

Sautee the onions, celery and carrots in butter and oil until onions just begin to carmelize - about 15 minutes or so on med/hi heat. Add salt, pepper, garlic salt and Mrs. Dash. Add water and boulion cubes and allow to come to a full rolling boil. As this is boiling - for about 20-25 minutes - prepare your chicken breast and Uncle Ben's rice. Cut chicken into small cubes/chunks after it's been cooked. Add cream of chicken soup and allow to boil until it is no longer lumpy. Add in the prepared rice and chicken. Let soup lightly boil for about 30 minutes to combine flavors.

This would be delicious served with a crusty bread! Makes approximately 5 hearty bowls of soup. (If you are feeding a family of more than 4, I'd suggest to double the recipe. If your family likes mushrooms, I think it would be good to do one can cream of chicken and one can cream of mushroom soup. I also added a handful of frozen sugar snap peas to mine. English peas would be good too if your family likes them.



Marvelous Mac-n-Cheese

12 oz bag of medium pasta shells
1/4 cup butter
1/2 small onion chopped very fine (so kids won't detect)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup flour
1- 3/4 cup milk
8 oz Velveeta cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup grated cheddar (or 2 cups, depending how much cheese you like on top)

- In medium heavy saucepan, melt butter, stir in onion, salt, pepper and garlic.
Cook until onions are tender. While preparing roux, boil pasta shells and drain.
Mix in flour, cook on low, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
Remove from heat. Wisk in milk. Heat again to boiling stirring constantly.
Add cubed Velveeta and a handful of the cheddar, stir until melted.
Pour cheese mixture over shells and gently combine. Pour all into a 1 quart casserole.
Top with grated cheese. Cook, uncovered for 30 minutes at 375*.

My tried and true tips. Cube your velveeta and grate your cheese before beginning the roux
since you have to stir constantly. Or have a partner in the kitchen to do that work for you. It will
seem that you have too much sauce for the amount of pasta, it will seem really runny and wet.
Don't skimp, use it all because it soaks in and becomes very thick and yummcious!
It's a little more work than the blue box, but SOOOOOO worth the trouble!