Scrumptious Soups

The absolute best part of cooking in the winter?  Throwing together ingredients in the slow cooker, leaving them for a couple of hours, and coming back to a hot and delicious soup ready for the evening meal.  Though chili is one of my favorite meals, these two soups are also favorites of mine. (And yes, I'm wearing shorts in the Potato Sausage Soup photo - I might not have been able to wait until winter to make it...) 

Potato Sausage Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water

5 cups russet potatoes, peeled & cubed

2 onions, chopped

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. pork sausage, browned, drained, & sliced

1 quart milk

3 Tbsp. parsley

1 can cheddar cheese soup

Directions

1. Combine potatoes, water, onions, celery seed, and salt in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are cooked through.

2. Combine potatoes and all remaining ingredients in a crock pot.

3. Heat for 2-3 hours or until heated through.

My Notes: This recipe comes from my Grandma Claassen.  If you do not have a crock pot, it can be prepared on the stove by adding all of the ingredients to the potato and water mixture.  Heat on the stove top until the cheese soup is melted and incorporated. I use only about 1/4 cup of onion.

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 13-oz. cans of shredded chicken or about 4 cooked & chopped chicken breasts

1 small onion, diced

15.25-oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained

16 oz. can pinto beans, undrained

14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until cheese is melted. Try not to let the soup boil.

My Notes: Serving this soup with tortilla chips crumbled on top adds a nice crunch.