Copycat Panera Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

With all the 'goodies' we enjoy this month, we all need some comfort food that fills us with healthy ingredients and can be made during the week...

Here you go...you're welcome! 

I use to not enjoy soup...at all.  I avoided it like the plague.  I know we were married

several years before I ever tried my hand at making it.

I believe that was because I grew up in a very frugal household...and we had soup...A LOT!  

I needed a break...then, in 1987, when I was in the hospital recovering from 2 surgeries to remove a brain tumor (thank the good Lord it was benign)...I would watch soup commercials and my mouth would salivate!  

I couldn't wait to get home and open a can of Progresso!

But then it got even better...I began making my own soup at home...SO.MUCH.BETTER! than from the can.  

And here we are...enjoying soups often and loving them. 

I made this batch to take to a friend recovering from surgery.  Also took some muffins - which are great any time, but I especially love them with soup.  Or cheese and crackers...or a grilled cheese sandwich!  

Soups are so forgiving to make - add what you have and what you like...thicken them if you like them creamier...

Do hope you'll enjoy this one soon!  I think it could easily become a family favorite. 

COPYCAT PANERA CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP 

1/2 c. diced carrots
1/2 c. diced celery
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp. olive oil (or coconut oil)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c. (32 ozs) chicken broth 
2 c. water
2 c. milk, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 c. cooked chicken breasts, diced
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 sm. box (about 4 ozs) long grain & Wild Rice mix
salt & pepper to taste
chopped green onions for garnish, optional 

Place olive oil in large saucepan; add carrots, celery and onion. Allow veggies to
simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic cloves, chicken broth and water and 1 c. milk; stir until combined.  Add pepper, oregano, and chicken; heat on med low for 15 minutes.  Whisk together remaining 1 cup of milk with 1/2 c. flour, stirring until no lumps remain.  Pour this into the soup; whisk until combined and it's getting thick.  Place the rice and seasoning packet into the soup; mix until blended.  Allow soup to simmer for 20 more minutes or until the rice is tender.  Add salt & pepper to
taste...enjoy with chopped green onions for garnish.  

Enjoy!  

Linked to 
Meal Plan Monday

You may also enjoy...

Easy Clam Chowder with Bacon (Copycat Sweet Tomatoes)

Copycat Strawberry Julius

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Cheesey Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers (Freezer Friendly Link)

I have never cared for green peppers, so we don't eat them often, but after someone gave us a few recently, I wanted to make stuffed peppers since hubby likes them...a lot. 

(hover over image to pin)

I was so tickled to find this recipe at The Recipe Critic...but I adapted it some, and hubby just loved them.  I ate the filling by itself and it was pretty tasty I'd have to say. 

The recipe called for wild rice...all I had was some basmati, so I cooked it in some of the tomato juice from the salsa (I substituted for canned tomatoes), but jazzed the recipe up in other ways. I also added some hot sauce...which hubby loves, so you can certainly adjust that to your own liking. 

She used raw ground beef...I browned and drained mine before stuffing peppers. 

You could add taco seasoning if you wanted to put a Mexican twist on this dish. 

After I made this special dish, and before I typed up the post, I happened upon this awesome idea for Freezer Friendly Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffed Peppers

from Two Maids a Milking...great idea and you can make them ahead! 

I ran to the store at the last minute and bought 1 red pepper so I could fill my crockpot. I think the cheesey topping made extra tasty. 

CHEESEY SLOW COOKER STUFFED BELL PEPPERS 

• 6 medium to large bell peppers
• 1 # lean ground beef, lightly browned, drained
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• (It's OK to add add onion to beef while browning) 
• 1-1/4 c. mild (or hot) salsa, undrained 
• (or 1 - 14 ozs. can diced tomatoes)
• 1 cup wild rice, cooked (any kind of rice is fine)
• 2 Tb. worchestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• (I used garlic pepper - we liked more)
• 1-1/4 c. shredded cheese, divided
• 1/4 c. water

Cut off each top of the peppers and scrape out the seeds and membranes. After I cut out the seeds with a knife, I scraped the inside clean with a spoon - it worked great). Set aside.

Combine ground beef, onion, salsa (or tomatoes), rice, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of cheese. Stuff each pepper with mixture. Place in bottom of crockpot. (You can crowd them a little because they get smaller as they cook). Add water to bottom of crockpot...it will help steam and soften the peppers. 

Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or high for 3 hours until peppers are tender.
(The sides of peppers tends to burn on high...I suggest using low)

About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle remaining cheese; enjoy when cheese is melted.



Fresh Tomato Pie

Quick Chili Mac Skillet

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Mexican Rice

We enjoy a lot of Mexican food at our house, so I was tickled to come across this lovely recipe from my good friend, Kim at Sunflower Supper Club. 

(They eat lots of Mexican at their house too). Please stop by and tell her I said hello. While you're there, check out this lovely recipe with 'full flavor' spice measurements. 

I changed it up a bit by using brown rice (needs to be cooked longer) and didn't add the full amount of spices.  Hubby commented he liked it and I really did too. 

Trust you will as well! 

Be sure to check out a couple of my favorite Mexican dishes below the recipe. 

MEXICAN RICE 

1 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. butter

1/2 c. chopped onion 
2 c. long grain rice (not instant)

(I used brown...)
2 cloves minced garlic (1 teaspoon)
2 - 3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin (or more)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2  tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (15 ozs) can (petite) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 c. chicken broth

cilantro for garnish if desired 

Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and rice; saute for a few minutes until lightly browned; stirring often. 

Add the spices (garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper) and cook for another minute. 

         Place tomatoes in 2 c. measuring cup; add water to make 2 cups. 

Add tomato mixture along with chicken broth to the pan. 

Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low (you want it to gently bubble;) cook for 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. (If using brown rice instead of white, you may need to add a little more water toward the end of cooking time.) Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Top with fresh cilantro. 

This rice would be a great side for 

Easy Taco Pie

or Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Healthy Pineapple Brown Rice

When I saw this interesting recipe at Nancy's Skinny Kitchen, I knew we would be enjoying it soon. She has awesome recipes with reduced calories and nutritional info, plus Weight Watchers Points.  Please go over and check out more of her amazing dishes, and be sure to tell her I sent you over.  You can check out Nancy's recipe along with the nutritional info at her site. 

LOVE the sweetness the pineapple adds to the rice.  This is delicious and would make a great side dish for any meal, but especially an Asian meal. 

HEALTHY PINEAPPLE BROWN RICE 

2 tsp. sesame or canola oil

1 c. Basmati brown rice
(regular brown rice works too) 
1 c. chopped yellow (or red) bell pepper 

(about 1/2 a pepper)

3 - 4 green onions, sliced

1/2 Tb. ginger (from a jar), optional
(I didn't have fresh, but sprinkled some dried...as always, fresh is best)

1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, unsweetened, undrained -

cut each piece in half

2 Tb. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1-1/3 c. water

Over medium heat in a large nonstick pan, heat oil until hot. Add rice, red (or yellow) pepper, green onion, ginger and onions and stir constantly until the rice begins to brown, about five minutes. Remove pan from the heat.

Add soy sauce, undrained pineapple and water. Stir to blend.

 Bring the rice mixture to a boil. Cover pan and simmer over low heat for 35-40 minutes until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork before serving.

Makes 5 servings = about 3/4 cup each

Linked to Weekend Potluck

Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

This was a very tasty soup I made after Thanksgiving.
I love boiling the turkey carcass after enjoying it.  It makes such a wonderfully rich soup. 

When I saw this awesome recipe from Tonya at 4 little Fergusons...I knew it would be a winner!  (Her recipes always are!)

I had a box of chicken flavored rice on hand so I used that instead of a box of wild rice, but I'm sure that would be very satisfying as well.  

Use what you have....make it YOUR family's way and enjoy every sip! 

TURKEY & WILD RICE SOUP 

1/4 c. butter (or Smart Balance spread) 

1-1/2 c. carrots, finely chopped 

2 stalks celery,  finely chopp

1 medium onion

1/2 c. flour

4 c. chicken broth

3 c. cooked wild rice {1 box Uncle Bens Is perfect

(I used chicken flavored rice mix I had on hand)

2 c. (fat-free) half-and-half

2 c. cubed turkey

1 tsp. dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. In large pot on stovetop, melt butter, then add carrots, celery and onion. Saute until tender, then stir in flour. Whisk broth and bring to a boil. Stir until thick, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat, simmering a few minutes to allow flavors to blend. 

Serve with crackers, biscuits or rolls. 

Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Thanksgiving Leftovers 

Coconut Rice Pudding {Healthier Option}

This is a very tasty rice pudding. 

Since I had opened a can of coconut milk to use partially in something else the day before, and saw this recipe on the label on the can and I wanted to use the rest of it up. I am SO glad I made this dessert. 

It's almost 'sticky' too and oh how I love that...I also loved it warm. 

It's comforting for me...I like to eat a lot of things warm, like fruit crisps or pies,
especially cookies from the oven, but we won't go any further with that thread of thought.  

Anyway - this is a great dessert and I hope you'll try it soon. 

If you like rice pudding, you can 'kick it up a notch' using coconut milk. MMM!

You could always use unsweetened coconut milk if you wanted to cut down on the sugar.  I used brown sugar Splenda for the sweetener, so I felt like I cut back on it some. 

My hubby's comment after enjoying his first serving was...
"You can make that again anytime!" 

COCONUT RICE PUDDING 

1/2 c. uncooked long grain rice 
(the recipe suggests jasmine rice)
1 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1 c. (unsweetened) coconut milk
1 cup 1% lowfat milk
1 - 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. brown sugar, unpacked
(I've grown to love the Sufrin Gold Brown Sugar Substitute!)
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon rind, optional

Place rice and cinnamon stick in a pot, cover with water. Bring rice to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Remove cinnamon stick. Add coconut milk, lowfat milk, vanilla and brown sugar. Simmer 12 - 15 minutes. Add lemon rind and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. Serve with cinnamon or mango slices and vanilla ice cream. 

Linked to Creative Thursday             Weekend Potluck

Cheesey Broccoli Rice Casserole

What a yummy side dish this recipe is!

It's easy to put together and goes quickly.

A family favorite...one weekend when my brother and family were visiting from out of town, I made this dish 3 times so my niece could enjoy it...again and again. 

She couldn't get enough!  And she was a teenager!!!

Actually, I made it on top of the stove the 3rd time, so we didn't have to wait for it to bake.  *-*

BROCCOLI RICE CASSEROLE

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 (10 ozs) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 Tb. butter or margarine

1 (10-3/4 ozs) can condensed cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup, undiluted

6 ozs. Velveeta, diced

1 (5 ozs) can evaporated milk

3 c. cooked rice

Preheat oven to 325. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.  In large skillet over medium heat, saute onion, celery and broccoli in butter for 3 - 5 minutes.  Stir in soup, cheese, and milk; heat until smooth.  Add rice; stir until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Check out this recipe from Blessed with Grace for a Broccoli Rice casserole - she uses no soup, and adds cream cheese.  I'm going to try that version very soon myself!

Linked to Foodie Friday
Mix it up Monday
Weekend Potluck

Kielbasa and Red Beans from halfmysize.com

I had this cookbook laying open on my cupboard, so I would have a reminder to make the casserole recipe on this same page.

It was lunchtime and I didn't have any leftovers when I saw this recipe...just tempting me to try it.

So I threw it together and we really enjoyed it.

Reminded me of the time we enjoyed chili over rice while on the beach in Hawaii 28 years ago this week - when we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. 

AAAHHHH - Sweet memories!!!!!!!

I appreciate that this cookbook gives nutritional info so you can fit it into the eating plan you're trying to follow.

Hope you'll enjoy it one day soon - we think it's delicious and will enjoy this simple dish again soon.

I used peach salsa and brown rice, because that's what I had on hand, but of course, you have that option to use what YOU have....

KIELBASA AND RED BEANS

(From halfmysize.com and The Better Baker)

1 - 14 ozs. pkg. smoked turkey sausage, sliced into 1/2" pieces

nonstick cooking spray

1 sm. onion, sliced or chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 - 15 ozs. can kidney beans, drained

1 c. salsa

(the peach salsa worked its 'magic' in this dish)

Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Dash of hot sauce, optional

Spray medium saucepan with nonstick cooking spray.  Saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes, until softened but not mushy.  Add smoked sausage; stir and cook sausage for 2 minutes.  Add beans, salsa, spices and hot sauce.  Just before it boils, lower heat;cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Serve over rice, if desired.  Serves 4

I didn't add salt or pepper while cooking, but added fresh ground pepper to the top when serving.

Nutritional info per serving: (doesn't include rice) Calories: 257; Fat: 5.3 gr., Fiber 4.3 gr.