Soups, Stews, & Chowders Archives

September 25, 2018

Easy Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Quick, easy, and healthy turkey pumpkin chili recipe made with ground turkey, canned tomatoes, pumpkin puree, beans, and lots of hearty spices.

Adding pumpkin to chili is one of my favorite secrets to make thick, rich, healthy chili. The pumpkin adds a great texture, a nice sweetness to complement the acidic tomatoes, and a beautiful color to chili. The best part is your family will never know that you snuck a nutrient-packed vegetable into their favorite chili. Pumpkin is my secret ingredient to our favorite Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili as well as this one.

This easy Turkey Pumpkin Chili is on repeat all year long in our house because it’s so filling, healthy, and flavorful. Plus, you can’t beat that it only takes about 30 minutes to throw together and freezes well. I’ll often freeze half of the batch before the pan hits the dinner table so that I know I have a second meal in the freezer. I’ll fill out the meal with our favorite Cornbread Recipe or Mom’s Four Loaf Wheat Bread Recipe, some fruit, our Veggie Box, and some hummus too. It’s a simple, healthy, family-favorite meal that comes together easily. BONUS: you can make this in the slow cooker, too! See the notes under the recipes for instructions and cooking times.

This pumpkin recipe is part of pumpkin week! A week that I dedicate on the blog to all things pumpkin – sweet and savory alike. I’ve done this every year for a few years now, and I enjoy it so much. I hope it inspires you to get in the kitchen and gives you a few more ideas on how to use pumpkin besides the classic pumpkin cookies.

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September 4, 2018

Healthy 30 Minute Alphabet Soup

Alphabet soup that is super easy to make, packed with vegetables, kid-approved, and done in 30 minutes or less.

Choosing healthy options for your family doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive, and today’s recipe proves that point. You are going to love this healthy 30 minute alphabet soup. It’s kid tested and healthy mama approved. If putting a healthy meal on the table is quick and easy then you have no reason not to!

This past summer I grew a huge garden and canned my heart out. My pantry is plum full of delicious veggies that I pull out now, in the middle of winter, and enjoy. I know that most of you weren’t able to do the same, so I made a recipe using lots and lots of canned veggies that you can pick up at the grocery store!

There is something magical about alphabet soup. Having all those fun letters hiding in it makes it so easy to dig in to. My little ones love finding the letters to their names and if they happen to eat tons of vegetables while doing so I’m not going to complain. This soup is thick and hearty without being heavy. With just the right amount of seasoning and a magical sweetness that comes from the use of ripe tomatoes in the tomato juice, this soup is going to please even the pickiest eaters.

Tips and Tricks for making Alphabet Soup:

This soup is pretty thick, just the way I like it. If you’d like it less thick add a second can of water and adjust the seasoning to taste.
You can find the alphabet letters near other pasta or in the Hispanic foods section of the grocery store.
This is a great dinner to add some Super Simple No-Knead Bread or some Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Biscuits both are great options that my kids love.
Don’t like green beans? Don’t add them! This is the kind of soup that you can add or take away what you do and don’t like really easily. Make it your own.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Healthy 30 Minute Alphabet Soup

Alphabet soup that is super easy to make, packed with vegetables, kid-approved, and done in 30 minutes or less.

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 46-ounce can tomato juice
1 14.5-ounce can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 14.5-ounce Whole Green Beans
1 14.5-ounce Peas and Carrots
1 14.5-ounce Whole Kernel Corn
1 14.5 ounce can full of water
2 tablespoon bullion base (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 12-ounce box alphabet noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and onion over medium-high heat until the onion is cooked through and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato juice, diced tomatoes (with the juice), green beans, peas and carrots, corn, water, bullion base, parsley, basil, and salt to the pan.
Continue to heat until the mixture is boiling. Add the alphabet noodles and continue to cook while the mixture is boiling for 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (don’t be stingy on the salt!) and enjoy right away.

Notes

This soup is pretty thick, just the way I like it. If you’d like it less thick add a second can of water and adjust the seasoning to taste.
You can find the alphabet letters near other pasta or in the Hispanic foods section of the grocery store.

Y-U-M is right! Wasn’t that easy?! Open a few cans, let the pasta cook, and enjoy. Done.

If you love this Alphabet Soup Recipe, you might also like these easy recipes:

This is one of our favorites and I can’t wait for you to make it too! Enjoy from my kitchen to yours.

July 18, 2018

Cornbread Waffles with Chili – 15 Minute Dinner

Fast and Easy Cornbread Waffles with Chili that only take 15 minutes to get on the table. The whole family will love adding their own toppings.

My mom and I have really bonded over the blog. In the last 18 months or so we have spent tons of time on the phone talking about recipes, craft ideas, working through problems or comments that may have stung a little. She’s definitely my number one blog fan and it means the world to me. She came across a few recipes in her local newspaper and was excited to share them with me. She was on the phone telling me about cornbread, cooked in a waffle iron, with chili on top. Huh?? I’d never even heard of such a thing. It sounded easy enough and for some reason I just had to make it. I went to the store and picked up what I needed and made it that very night.

Cornbread waffles with chili was shockingly delicious and probably the easiest thing in the world. You can’t beat a meal that takes 15 minutes to put together, and I didn’t have to turn on my oven in this summer heat either. Double win! I was shocked at how much my family loved it. If you have ever had Navajo Tacos, this eats a lot like those, which is a very good thing. The corn bread and chili were a great base for all of your favorite toppings. My kids love anything that they can customize and this was just perfect for them.

In the notes of the recipe, I mention how to use your favorite cornbread recipe and homemade chili instead of the store-bought stuff if that is more your style. I honestly had to go pick up the mix and the can because they aren’t things I keep on the shelf.

So trust me on this one and make it soon. It was tasty, fast, and needs no oven – always a good thing in my book.

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March 16, 2018

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Quick and easy Instant Pot Split Pea Soup made with just a few ingredients and done in about 40 minutes, start to finish.

Long live all the easy Instant Pot recipes! I’m so excited to share this Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe with you today because it’s one of my favorite soups, done in the pressure cooker, and it only takes about 40 minutes to get on the table. It’s full of veggies, is really inexpensive to make, and is hearty and full of flavor. I feel like split pea soup gets a bad rap because of it’s thick texture and green color, but I’m here to tell you that it is awesome! It tastes just like other ham and bean recipes but takes a fraction of the time. Today I’m working with Hurst’s Beans again (love them!) with their split peas. Split peas are one of those hidden gems that not enough folks are using. I love them because they are high in protein and fiber and have all kinds of vitamins and minerals. They are also fun to work with because they break down when cooked, meaning you don’t have to process anything in the blender or food processor to get a smooth soup. The only chunks in this soup are the veggies and a little bit of ham. The split peas just make everything thick and creamy.

Here’s why I’m excited to be working with Hurst’s Beans today. Hurst’s is a 4th generation family-owned company that is based out of Indiana (I was raised in Indiana and consider myself a Hoosier through and through), and they’ve been a brand that has been in my cupboard, my mom’s cupboard, and my grandma’s cupboard for years and years. I grew up loving the 15 Bean Soup Mix, and their products are ones I use and know well. I’m so excited to be working with them today. They grow their beans in the US and Canada (yay!), and the flavor packets really are just seasonings in a convenient little package. They are gluten-free and vegan and have no added MSG. This is a great brand, and I can’t wait for you to bring them into your own kitchen if you haven’t already.

Other recipes that I’ve made using Hurst’s Beans include Slow Cooker Refried Beans, Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili, and Instant Pot Slow Cooker Cajun Beans and Rice. All of which I think you should make. 🙂

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March 8, 2018

Healthy Cauliflower Sausage and Kale Soup

Healthy Cauliflower Sausage and Kale soup is the low-carb version of Zuppa Toscana that uses cauliflower in place of the potatoes!

I love rich creamy soup that has sausage in it, so while I was making a recipe for Zuppa Toscana from my friend Rivka, I wondered if I could get away with adding cauliflower in place of the potatoes. I love me some potatoes, but I was looking for a low carb option for some friends that were coming by. I always find it useful to collect great recipes that also can be filed under labels like low-carb, gluten free, vegan etc. That way, if someone is coming over for dinner or to visit that has specific dietary needs, then I don’t have to panic. Having some tried-and-true recipes that you make for the family but also work for dietary restrictions is awesome.

This soup is great for everyday eating with the family, and it also hits low carb and Keto diet requirements. I also like to keep some good low-carb options around for folks (like my older sister and grandma), who are diabetic.

Food restrictions or not, this soup is delicious. It’s comforting, creamy, and packed with vegetables, which is always a plus. You make it all in one pot and the leftovers might be even better the next day. Sausage and cream make all vegetables taste better, if you ask me. If low-carb isn’t a concern, this sausage and kale soup recipe is great with this no-knead bread recipe or with some cornbread. It’s a favorite in this house, and I make it often.

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February 20, 2018

The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup

The best Instant Pot broccoli and cheese soup that is extra thick and creamy and the cooking time is only ONE minute!

Getting to know my Instant Pot has been a lot of fun (I got the big 8-quart one for Thanksgiving and LOVE it). I still have a ton of new techniques and recipes to try but for the time being, I’m loving what I am doing. I love to make soups in the Instant Pot, as well as things like shredded pork for tacos and sandwiches. It’s also amazing at cooking “boiled” eggs; even fresh eggs that are normally a nightmare to peel come out of the Instant Pot with the shells practically falling off. It is awesome.

Today I’m sharing the best soup recipe that we have tried to date. The best Instant Pot broccoli and cheese soup is the stuff soup dreams are made of. It’s rich, thick, and creamy with perfectly cooked veggies and the best texture. The fun part about using the Instant Pot for this recipe is that it only has a one-minute cook time. How neat is that? This one pot meal will be a huge hit with your family and I can’t wait for you to try it.

This recipe comes from a cookbook of a friend. Barbara sent me a copy of her cookbook to review and I’m so glad that she did. I’ve actually given the book as a gift to friends who are new to electric pressure cookers because it’s so full of tried-and-true family-friendly recipes. Barbara and I roomed together at a conference in Austin last spring and she had just turned in the manuscript for this huge cookbook with over 200 recipes. It was such a massive undertaking and she was so proud of it. She is someone who has inspired me to pursue writing a cookbook of my own. I’m so proud of this woman and her cookbook is a great tribute to her years of knowledge when it comes to electric pressure cooking (Instant Pot or any other brand). She’s been using one long before it was trendy and now she’s ready to teach the rest of us. The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 200 Fast and Foolproof Recipes for Every Brand of Electric Pressure Cooker is one you want on your shelf.

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February 15, 2018

Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

Healthy and flavorful Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili recipe made with a mix of dried beans, vegetables, spices, and a secret ingredient. A healthy, one-pot meatless meal your whole family will love.

I love this meatless vegetarian chili recipe and I know you are going to love it, too. I think it’s fun to use dried beans, cooked in the Instant Pot. Dried beans are fun to use and inexpensive. I’m working with Hurst’s Beans today and I used their slow cooker chili dried bean mix for this recipe. I love their mixed dried beans because you get a good variety of beans all in one bag. This chili mix contains Pinto, black, small red, and kidney beans all in one bag. The best part is you DO NOT have to soak these beans before cooking them. You literally toss them in the pot and let them cook. They turn out awesome every time.

Other things that I love about this recipe are that it has a heavy hand of vegetables in it, but you don’t know it. They kind of cook into nothing and just add flavor and great texture. It also contains a hidden vegetable that I love to sneak into chili… pumpkin! Adding pumpkin thickens the chili and adds a pleasant sweetness that offsets the acidic tomatoes nicely. Trust me on this one, no one will know that your chili has pumpkin in it. I can’t wait for you to try this veggie-filled chili and be sure to read the tips and tricks on how to make it in the slow cooker if you don’t have an Instant Pot and how to make substitutions to fit your preferences.

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January 16, 2018

Slow Cooker Chili Recipes

The best Slow Cooker Chili Recipes on the internet all in one place including chicken chili, meatless lentil chili, and more!

I absolutely love holidays and spending time with family, but after the craziness of the holiday season, I’m ready for some routine, and that includes some food routine. Between holiday parties and gatherings and working long hours on our house, our wholesome, home-cooked meals have not been as regular as I would like. Now that things are slowing down a bit (other than our final push for the house), I’m ready to get back into hearty and healthy meals. And slow cooker chili recipes are just that! I love that I can put dinner in the slow cooker, head over to work on the house or whatever else I need to do, and come home to a cozy, healthy dinner.

Chili is one of those things that can be as simple as you like it (throw together some ground meat and beans) or more complex! I love that you can make it healthy with quinoa, or sweet potatoes, or lentils, or just make it with pantry stables. There are lots of chili recipes out there because there is so much variation when it comes to making chili. Plus, you can make chili in so many different appliances these days! I love this slow cooker and did you know Instant Pots have a slow cook setting? Haven’t tried it yet, but I bet most of these recipes could be made in the Instant Pot too!

I’m excited to spice things up with these slow cooker chili recipes from around the internet (and a couple from Bless This Mess!) – it’s fun to mix things up once in a while! Make sure to let me know how they turn out if you try one. Happy chili making!

What are your favorite slow cooker chili recipes?

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November 28, 2017

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup is simple to make, loaded with all your favorite vegetables, and is a hit with the whole family.

Weather in southern Utah is just starting to really feel cold and we have our first snow on the radar for the weekend. I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite slow cooker recipes today that I have been making for years and years. There are all kinds of things to love about Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Stew and I’m here to tell you about them. It’s super easy to make – hello slow cooker. Once you get everything in the slow cooker, you set it and forget it. I love a meal that I can prep in the morning and not thing about the rest of the day.

I also love that this soup is super vegetable heavy. It’s a great meal to keep on rotation through the holidays when the sweets seem to be around every corner. I don’t mind my family eating sweets but I do try to balance all that out with kid-friendly vegetable-filled meals as often as I can. It’s all about balance. And the great thing about this soup is that it’s super forgiving. You can use canned, frozen, or fresh vegetables in just about any combination that you like. It’s one of those recipes that might come out a little different every time you make it, depending on what you have and throw in, but it always tastes great.

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November 6, 2017

Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

The best creamy slow cooker white chicken chili on the block. This recipe is super easy to make, cooks by itself, and is a chili cook off winner!

We love all things chili in the fall and winter and this creamy slow cooker white chicken chili is probably one of my family’s all-time favorite soups or stews. It’s creamy, packed with veggies and beans, so easy to make, and budget-friendly for feeding a crowd of people (one pound of meat can feed a family twice when you make this recipe!). Plus, this slow cooker white chicken chili is a chili cook-off winner; yes I’m tooting my own horn. It’s a simple recipe that you will make over and over again.

Slow cooker recipes are a life-saver aren’t they? We are SO close to moving into our house (still maybe 8-12 weeks out but when you’ve been working on it for almost two years that sounds really close). So we spend a lot of evenings over there working – a DIY house build is no joke and takes a ton of time. I have really relied on my slow cooker to make dinner happen so many nights. It’s awesome because it works away while I’m working, too.

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