Allison, I'm so sorry it has taken me forever and a day to respond, but the answer is YES! I happen to absolutely love soup, and if there is one thing I've got it is soup recipes. Now, I am missing the kid portion of the equation so I'm going to do my best to suggest what I am guessing are kid-friendly recipes...
The first recipe is my taco soup recipe, and this one is a keeper. It takes all of 20 minutes to make, freezes perfectly and actually tastes good too! I'm gonna guess kids will like this because it has so many optional toppings for making something unique. Do your kids like tortilla chips? Crumble a few up and put on top. Do they like cheese or sour cream? Throw that on top as well. Don't like a thing? Leave it all off! It is so easy :-)
The second recipe is an easy favorite around our house, but, honestly, I've never tried to freeze it before. I was hoping to get around to making a batch and test freezing it this past week, but that was one of many things I didn't get done this week... However, freezing or no freezing this is an awesome stew and definitely kid-friendly. This recipe is Pampered Chef's Favorite Meatball Stew.
Without further ado, here are the recipes:
Taco Soup
1 pound ground beef
3 cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
3 cans beans, any kind (I use pinto, black and kidney), drained and rinsed
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 cup water
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. dry ranch mix
Crumbled tortilla chips, sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese (optional)
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat and drain. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan, and mix to combine. Stir in ground beef and cook over medium heat until heated through. Top with toppings, if preferred.
* Freezing tip - although you can absolutely cook this as is (minus any toppings) let cool to room temp and freeze, I suggest making the soup without the ground beef and freezing. Without meat in the soup, this will easily last up to 3 months in your freezer. To serve, just reheat and add some freshly browned ground beef and toppings. If you choose to freeze with the beef already added, this should last about 1 month in the freezer.
Favorite Meatball Stew
From Pampered Chef
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pkg (16 oz.) frozen, fully cooked meatballs
1 jar (12 oz.) home-style beef gravy
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pkg (11 oz.) refrigerated bread sticks
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, mushrooms and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes.
2. Add meatballs (no need to thaw), gravy, tomato sauce, peas and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour mixture into a large, oven-proof casserole dish. Remove bread stick dough from package; do not separate. Using a serrated knife, cut dough evenly into 12 slices. Place slices in a slightly overlapping circular pattern over meatball mixture, leaving the center open. Bake 27 - 30 minutes or until stew is bubbly and bread sticks are golden brown.
*Freezing tip - If you choose to freeze this stew, I would cook through step 2, then cool to room temp and freeze. To serve, thaw and proceed to step 3. Cook as instructed.
Allison, I hope your boys love these soups and you and your family stay warm this winter!
P.S. sorry for the major lack of photos in this post. As I said, this week allowed for no extra fun in the kitchen. More pics next time, I promise!
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