Cream of Chicken Soup recipe- to use in place of condensed soup

HOMEMADE CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

Author: Pinch of Yum

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 3 cups

Makes the equivalent of about 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 2½ cups chicken broth (I used 2 cans)
• 1½ cups milk
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 tablespoon seasoning mix (or on your own, ½ tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. parsley, etc)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the chicken broth and ½ cup of the milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour and seasonings into the remaining 1 cup milk until a smooth, thick mixture forms.
3. Pour the flour and milk mixture into the saucepan with the broth mixture over low heat and stir continuously, whisking as the mixture simmers. Continue to simmer and stir/whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick, 5-10 minutes. The mixture will thicken a bit as it cools.

NOTES

The seasoning possibilities are really open-ended. I change the spices I use every time I make this depending on what I’m going to use the soup for. The texture can get lumpy really quickly so I suggest keeping the heat as low as possible and whisking continuously for a more smooth consistency.   

The Best Enchilada Soup- Chili's copycat. Crockpot

Chicken Enchilada Soup {Chili’s Copycat}

this recipe makes a lot- I usually halve it

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart chicken stock ( I used Just Like Bouillon with water)
• 1 tablespoon chicken soup base (I took it down a little)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (8 oz). can tomato sauce
• 1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (or two 10 oz. cans) I used this quick recipe
• 1 cup masa harina (or 6 small corn tortillas, minced, I blended mine in the blender)
• 16 oz. Velveeta, cubed
• 1 (22 oz.) bag Tyson roasted and diced chicken, thawed (I just threw my 1 or 2 breasts in the crockpot)
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained (optional)
• 1 can black beans, drained (optional)
• Garnishes: pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla strips

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onions until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot.

2. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken (unless you're using the uncooked chicken), corn and black beans. Cook over high heat for 4 hours or low for 5-7. However you work your crockpot magic. Whisk until smooth (you may wish to use a stick blender).

3. Add the chicken pieces, corn and black beans and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.

This is so great!  I've made it twice already.  The tortillas thicken it up nicely and add a nice flavor, even though I usually don't go for corn tortillas.  The velveeta adds a nice richness and creaminess.  I have two other recipes for Enchilada Soup on this site, but one uses cream of chicken soup and one uses little pastas so they all have a place here.

Tomato Basil Soup- beats Campbell's every time!

Tomato Basil Soup

(eatyourselfskinny.com)

• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (I used about 1 T or less, dried)
• 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) 1/3-less fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and saute the chopped onion for 3 minutes, until translucent.  Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Add tomatoes and basil, bringing to a boil.  Stir in cream cheese until melted.

Place mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Return to saucepan and stir in milk, salt and pepper.  Return to medium-high heat and cook for 2 minutes.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Artichoke Soup

Chicken and Artichoke Soup
(cucinafamiglia.blogspot.com)

• 4 chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans cream of celery soup (I used all cream of chicken, what I had)
• 1 8 oz jar of artichoke hearts, chop finely
• 1/2 box sliced mushrooms (I didn't have these and still good)
• 1 can diced green chilies (I skipped to make kid-friendly)
• 1 quart half and half
• 1 pound pepper jack cheese, grated
• salt and pepper to taste

Poach chicken, then shred (or if you freeze your shredded chicken, this works great for it). In your stock pot, saute onion in a little olive oil. Add chicken. Then add cream of celery, cream of chicken, half and half, mushrooms and artichokes. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted.  

We enjoyed this thick and creamy soup.  We'll make it again!

PW Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli-Cheese Soup from the Pioneer Woman

(from the pioneerwoman.com)

• 1 whole onion, diced
• 1 stick 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 4 heads broccoli cut Into florets
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 3 cups grated cheese (mild Cheddar, sharp cheddar, jack, etc.)
• small dash of salt (more If needed)
• freshly ground black pepper
• splash of chicken broth If needed for thinning

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender let it cool first, blend, then return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning.)

I have a few other Broccoli Soups on the blog, but of course I have to try Pioneer Woman's version!  I liked how you do everything at once in this soup- no pre-cooked veggies or anything, just all in one.  This was a great soup, I had all the stuff handy in my kitchen (well, not the half-and-half; I just substituted a can of evaporated milk).  Good, warm, fresh-tasting soup.  I'll make it again for sure.

My new Chicken Corn Chowder recipe

Chicken Corn Chowder

(adapted from pickypalate.com)

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, color of choice, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (optional)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced or chopped ham or Canadian bacon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14 oz cans chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups water and 3 bullion cubes
• 3 T. flour
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I skipped and didn't need it!)

1.  Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until softened. 
2. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. 
3. Whisk the broth with the flour in a large bowl then stir into soup. Stir in corn and chicken. 
4. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. 
5. Add cream cheese and let it melt in, then add milk along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer until ready to serve.

I liked this recipe better than the other corn chowder recipe I had on my blog so I replaced it with this one.  It is a great soup, and we enjoyed it a lot.  

Two great Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 6

For the Cordon Bleu:

• 3 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets)
• 12 slices deli ham
• 1 cup bread crumbs (I used Special K crushed flakes--tasted good to me!)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 to 1/2 pound thinly sliced swiss cheese

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese, shingling across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.

While the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly, while cooking the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking.

Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.

This was so easy and delicious!  Way better than the recipes using cream of chicken soup as the sauce, and not as hard as the list of ingredients and long instructions would lead to you to believe!  I enjoyed the simple prep for the chicken, ham and cheese and not having to roll it up like normal cordon bleu.  The sauce has such a great flavor and it's yummy on it's own.  My kids all ate it, and thought it was good.  Try this!  

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

from melskitchencafe.com

*Note: if you don't have apple juice on hand, you can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups.

*Serves 4-6

For the Chicken and Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 2-3 chicken breasts) ((to save time I used ready-cooked chicken and just added it to the sauteed garlic and onions))
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup apple juice
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets
• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls or big rolls

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight fitting microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10- or 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is still slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for one minute.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. I like to leave about a 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving. Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

• Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
• (from Paula Deen)
• 
  
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (I skipped)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (threw in a little garlic powder instead)
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
• 2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups broken lasagna noodles (I used those cute little Ditalinis)
• 1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, combine ground beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.  Serve with optional cheese, croutons, and/or french bread.

This was a fun take on lasagna!  It was pretty quick to throw together and we found it really good.      Of course, my kids will prefer regular old spaghetti over this soup, but I imagine most kids would find it rather appealing with all the optional add-ins and the fun little pasta.

Kid-friendly "Apple Cheddar Soup"

Apple Cheddar Soup
(from Better Homes and Gardens magazine)

• 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
• 1 T. butter
• 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced (I left my skin on my red potatoes)
• 2 c. apple cider
• 1 t. fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. salt
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 medium cooking apple, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 T. flour
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. In large saucepan cook onion in hot butter over medium heat until tender.  Stir in potatoes, cider, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bring to boiling, reduce heat.
2.  Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.  Add chopped apple; simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  In small bowl combine flour and milk; stir into soup.   Cook and stir until bubbly.  Slowly add cheese, whisking until cheese is melted.
Makes 4-6 side dish servings.


This was a little sweet, which makes it kid-friendly.  I liked this flavor too!  Try it as a side with grilled cheese.

Mulligatawny Soup- serious GOODNESS

Mulligatawny Soup
adapted from allrecipes.com
serves 2 adults

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots diced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 T. curry powder (you can take this down a little if you'd prefer)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup white rice
• 1/3 c. golden raisins
• chicken, pre-cooked and shredded (I used about 1 breast)
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1/2 cup half & half

Directions

1. Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
2. Add apple, rice, raisins, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
3. Right before serving, add half & half.

Ok, I know there are people out there that just don't do the curry thing.  But wow- if you were even a little bit tempted- this soup is amazing!  Savory, a little sweet, a little spicy- warm, comforting and flavorful....it is a recipe I am so happy I found!