Pumpkin Squares

These were requested by Jaime. Summer recently made these and received rave reviews!
Pumpkin Squares - LaDawn Cook

Crust: Mix and spread in a 9 x 13 pan
½ cup melted butter
1 egg
1 pkg. less 1 cup (save for topping) yellow cake mix

Filling: Mix well and pour over crust
3 ½ cups pumpkin
2 eggs
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice* (see below)

Topping: Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over top.
1 cup cake mix
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup softened butter
¼ cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup nuts

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Serve topped with whipped cream.

*In place of pumpkin pie spice you can use: 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3/8 tsp. nutmeg, 3/8 tsp. cloves, ¾ tsp. ginger.

Soup Recipes

Our October Recipe Club theme was soups. We tried many different soups and they were all delicious!
Recipes are posted below.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - Jaime B.
(from Emeril Lagasse)

1 (1 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled seeded and rough chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Italian sausage, removed from the casing
1 cup small dice onion
1/2 cup small dice carrot
1/2 cup small dice celery
1/2 cup small dice leeks
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
11/2 quarts chicken stock
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chopped squash in a medium-size mixing bowl. Drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the squash on top of the sheet pan. Set the sheet pan into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is lightly caramelized and tender.
Remove the squash from the oven and set aside. Place a 1-gallon saucepan over medium high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and render the Italian sausage. Cook, stirring often until the meat is caramelized and has released most of its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery and leeks in the pan and sweat, stirring often for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sweat for 1 minute stirring continuously. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and add the chicken stock to the pan. Place the squash in the pan with the maple syrup and sage.
Bring the pan to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook the soup for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth consistency and velvety texture. Alternately, you can puree the soup in batches using a blender. Taste the soup and re-season if necessary with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Keep warm until serving.

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup – Laura L.

(serves 4)
4 Yukon gold potatoes
1 (5.5) package of au gratin instant potato mix
1 (10.5 oz) can of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1 sweet onion
1/4 tsp pepper
bacon
sour cream
cheddar cheese
green onion (2 tbsp) and chives (green portion of green onion)

Peel and dice into chunks the potatoes, then place them in boiling water and cook till pretty much soft. Do not over cook.
Chop onion (both green and sweet) and sautee with butter. When soft, puree in food processor.

Cook a few strips of bacon and then chop them up for later (garnish)

Add cream, au gratin cheese mix (you can trash the dried potatoes, you don't need them), chicken broth, and pureed onions into a large sauce pan.

Puree potatoes... I like to add milk to the food processor so that it purees better. Do not completely puree all potatoes unless you do not want any chunks.

Combine ingredients in large sauce pan.
Garnish with cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon, and chives.

White Bean Chili

White Bean Chili – Tracy W.
2 large onions
1/3-cup flour
4 cups chicken broth (two cans is what I use)
4 (4 oz.) cans green chilies
3 cups half and half (I just use the whole carton) (fat free is an option I have not tried)
3 (15 oz.) cans small white beans (drained)
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 5 breasts)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon Tabasco
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 Cups Jack cheese
1 Cup sour cream

Chunky Salsa, Cilantro, blue tortilla chips on top

Simmer chopped onions in 6 T. spoons butter (you could use less). Add flour.
Add broth; cook until thickened. Add all but cheese and sour cream. Let simmer for 20 minutes (I never do this, no time). Add cheese and sour cream, just till melted. Serve.

This makes a lot. It does freeze well. (really, you should freeze half unless you are feeding a crowd. I would say this serves 20)

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup – Summer H.

2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. minced shallots
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 bay leaves
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup brown sugar
3 cups canned pumpkin (1 large can)
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. white pepper

In a pot over medium heat, simmer shallots and garlic in butter till shallots are translucent, but not browned. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg and cook for a few minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Add whipping cream and brown sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add pumpkin slowly while stirring. Add salt and white pepper and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

This makes enough to serve 4-6 people. If feeding a crowd, double the recipe.

Black Bean Chicken Enchilada Soup

Black Bean Chicken Enchilada Soup – Mindy H.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
2-3 Tblsp oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 chopped carrots
6-8 cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
2 small cans summer crisp corn
1 cup white rice
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. marjoram

1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
1 bunch thinly sliced green onion

Toppings: shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips

Heat oil on low to medium heat. Add onions (I also liked some crushed garlic), carrots and sauté. Add chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes and simmer 20 minutes. Add rice and spices. Cook 20-25 minutes on low. Stir in the cooked and cubed chicken. Just before serving add the green onions and cilantro.
Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup – Cynthia R.

Roux:
2 C flour
1 C butter or margarine, melted
Mix flour and butter together until well blended. Store in fridge. When ready to use, add to hot liquid a little at a time. Stir constantly until the preferred consistency is reached.

2 tsp. chicken soup base
3 C chicken broth
2 C chopped carrots
2 C chopped celery
1/4 C chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 C evaporated milk

Heat chicken soup base and stock together. Add carrots, celery and onions and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Thicken with roux as desired, then add cooked chicken and noodles. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 2 1/2 qts or 10 one cup servings.

Borshch

Borshch – LaDawn C.

1/2 head cabbage (I like purple)
1-3 beets (LaDawn uses at least 3)
4-6 carrots
1 red pepper
2 green pepper
parsley &/or dill
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
7-8 potatoes
oil or butter
1-2 cans tomato sauce
2 Tbs. salt
2 beef bouillon cubes

Cut and sauté carrots, beets, and onion. Boil diced potatoes with salt. Cut peppers and cabbage. Add tomato sauce to carrot mixture. When potatoes are almost soft, add carrot mixture and cabbage mixture. When cabbage is almost done add parsley, garlic and bay leaves. Serve with sour cream.

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup – Lori S. (from Kennon B.)

2 (4-ounce) skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cubed
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 (14 ½ oz.) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 (10 ¾ oz.) can tomato puree
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4 (5 ½ inch) corn tortillas
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Combine first 13 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook at HIGH 6 hours. Discard bay leaf.
Cut tortillas into ¼ -inch wide strips; place on a baking sheet
Bake tortilla strips at 375 for 5 minutes. Stir and bake 5 more minutes or until crisp. Serve tortilla strips with soup. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Yield: 10 cups
Reference: Southern Living, 1998 Annual Recipes, p. 291

Autumn Soup

Autumn Soup – Julie C.

1 lb Ground Beef
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups water
1 cup cut-up carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup cubed pared potatoes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp bottled brown bouquet sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes

In large saucepan cook and stir meat until brown. Drain off fat. Cook and stir onions with meat until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup – Tracy W.

2 cups of split peas
1/4 cup olive oil or butter
2 yellow onions finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

6-8 cups of chicken stock
1 piece of smoked ham
2 large fresh parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
parsley
lemon wedges

Sort through peas. Sauté first stuff. Add stock, peas, ham, seasons, bring to a boil.

I cook bacon, then set aside for topping instead of ham, then cook veggies in some of the bacon grease. What can I say, I'm from the South.

Cheese is also good on top.