Zuppa Toscana

If you love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, I need you to stop what you are doing and print this recipe ASAP! This is by far the closest thing I've ever come to something and it's seriously one of my favorites. Being that we are mostly Paleo now, I have made it with full fat coconut milk (and 1/2 coconut cream) instead of the heavy cream but it's simply amazing with the heavy whipping cream. 

Once cooked, I am sure this soup will freeze, but I've got no idea because it never lasts that long... ever. So I can't trust that it will freeze well, though if you wait to add the cream, I'm sure it will work brilliantly. I should try it just for you. Next time. As long as we don't eat it first. Hummm...

What you will need:

1lb Italian sausage (Not breakfast sausage, but one of the no-nitrate ones would be best like the New York Sausage Company brand chubs.)

4-5 Potatoes (peeled, washed, chopped into bite sized chunks)

1 Onion (diced)

2 TBS of minced garlic

32 ounces of chicken broth

Water

4-6 pieces of bacon (equal to 1/4 cup cooked and chopped/crumbled--optional)

1 bunch of kale (washed, chopped into bite sized pieces)

1 cup heavy whip cream (you can use full fat coconut milk and some coconut cream)

2 TBS of any flour (you can use wheat, oat, sorghum, etc. I wouldn't use coconut though. Any thickener will do. Or do without the thickening)

Cayenne

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

• Brown meat in large stock pot you will cook your soup in. 
• If you prefer, you can drain the excess fat from the sausage before you move on, otherwise, add to the browned meat: chicken broth, garlic, potatoes, and onion. 
• Add just enough water to cover the potatoes. 
• Cook on high or until potatoes are soft. 

• Alternately, this can go in the crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or until potatoes are soft (low 5-6 hours).

Once potatoes are soft (or 30 minutes before serving):

• Mix flour into cream and try hard to get out all the lumps. 
• Add cream, kale and bacon to crockpot and stir well.
• Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth is thickened.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add a dash of cayenne to kick it up a notch.

Seriously the best soup ever. I make it twice a month and it's heaven in a bowl.

Stork Meal 9: Sour Cream Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Oh. My. Heaven.

So, I haven't even tasted this recipe (as I begin write this, but I tasted it by the end) but the smell in my house makes me want to do a little jig. I mean seriously people, I don't know what is more exciting. The fact that I have bacon in my crockpot or that it's wrapped around juicy chicken and covered in a smoked paprika cream sauce. Seriously folks, my nose is in heaven. And I have 8 people coming for dinner who will be the judges of it's fantasticity (That is totally a word)!

And now that I've tasted it... Oh yeah. This is a total keeper. So here is what you must do, run (don't walk) to the store and buy these ingredients:

Thick sliced bacon
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can use thighs too)
2 cans of Cream of Chicken (or you can use mushroom if you prefer, but my kids prefer I don't)
1 cup of full fat sour cream (you already have bacon, come on you really going to use FF?)
2-3 Tablespoons of Smoked Paprika
Garlic Salt (or you can use real garlic [1-2 crushed cloves], but my kids prefer I don't)
Pepper (and salt if you don't use the garlic salt)

For preparation to go in your crockpot today: Wrap defrosted chicken in bacon and place in the bottom of a preheated crockpot. I usually turn mine on high then back to low when I'm all putting it in. Mix the soup, sour cream and all the spices together and taste, adjusting for your liking. Some days I need more paprika... some I need less. Depends on how snarky I am I think.  Pour well combined yummy sauce over the chicken in the crock and cover. Cook on High 4 hours or low 6-8 hours (until chicken is at 165). Serve over rice or noodles. Steamed carrots will be excellent with this meal.

For the freezer: Wrap frozen chicken breast in bacon and pack tightly into the bottom of a gallon sized zip lock bag. In another gallon bag combine Cream of chicken, sour cream, paprika (start with 1 table spoon first, taste and then add more to your liking), Garlic salt (again taste and see), and finally some pepper. Seal bag and mix well by squishing the bag many times. Make it all the same color. Taste and adjust to your families liking.

Store sauce and bacon wrapped chicken together in an additional freezer bag and label with this: Place chicken in the crockpot first, cover with sauce. Cook 4 hours on high, 6-8 on low. Serve with rice or pasta.

To see the other Stork Meals, click here.