Classic Italian Chicken Soup

From: heatherac

Ingredients
6 chicken breasts with the bone, about 3 pounds total
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned crushed Italian tomatoes
1 large onion, diced (I only used about 1/4 onion bc we're not huge onion fans)
3 large carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 ounces orzo or other small, shaped pasta (I used a whole box which was 16 ounces, 8 didn't seem like enough when I added it)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach, escarole, or kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper

Instructions
1. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken breasts and place the breasts in a large soup pot. Add the chicken broth, bring it to a boil and reduce heat so that the brother just simmers. Simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate to cool.

2. Skim the far from the broth and bring it back to a boil. Add the tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and red pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the orzo or other pasta and cook for 5-8 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

4. Meanwhile, discard the bones from the chicken and chop the meat into small pieces.

5. Add the chicken, spinach, parsley, and oregano to the soup pot and simmer for an other minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm soup bowls with a thick slice of Italian bread.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

From: hotamale

3 cans (19 oz each) chicken noodle soup
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (16.3 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

1.Heat soup and broth to boiling in 4-quart Dutch oven. Meanwhile, separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into fourths.
2. Drop biscuit pieces into boiling soup. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. (Soup must be at a medium boil.)
3. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer or until dumplings are light and fluffy.
4. To serve, carefully remove dumplings from soup. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each with dumplings. Sprinkle with parsley.

White Chili

From: Stefibeth

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cooked, boneless chicken breast half, chopped
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chili peppers, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
5 (14.5 ounce) cans great Northern beans, undrained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

- Saute the onions and garlic in EVOO for about 10 mins over med heat, or until tender
- Add the chicken (I actually used 2 pouches of chunk white chicken breasts drained, which can be found over by the canned tuna in the grocery store), chicken broth, green chile peppers, and spices.
- Bring mixture to a boil and then add in the beans. I smashed up two of the cans of beans to thicken the soup, and I also added in 2 cans of white corn, drained.
- Simmer for 30 mins and then enjoy! This recipe makes A LOT, but it's yummy and reheats and freezes well.

Macaroni and 4 Cheeses

Recipe: Macaroni and 4 Cheeses
From: LJKaucher

Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned