Easy Cooking with {Slow Cooker} Creamy Italian Parmesan Tomato Soup with Parmesan Bread Bowls

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This Creamy Italian Parmesan Tomato Soup with Homemade Parmesan Bread Bowls is the perfect comfort food anytime! It's the "grown-up" version of a childhood favorite! #DinnerDone #CollectiveBias


I'm all about easy cooking. I have been wanting to share a recipe with tomatoes for awhile now. With Summer upon us, we all will be focusing on recipes that keep our kitchens cool. Living in Phoenix, it gets hot y'all. Like fire-breathing dragon hot. The last thing I want to do most days is heat up my house! I tend to do any baking first thing in the morning before it gets too hot! This {Slow Cooker} Creamy Italian Parmesan Tomato Soup with Parmesan Bread Bowls is the perfect summer recipe! 
Most of us have a food memory that magically transports us back to our childhood .... a food where, the memories just flood us. What food takes you back in time to mom or grandma's kitchen?! Maybe it takes you back to a special occasion or event? I find it quite interesting that as humans, we mark so many occasions with the sharing of food! Seriously, think about it!
For me, I have soooo many fond memories and most involve some sort of food ... I truly believe I am passionate about cooking because of these memories. Believe me, blogging isn't making me a millionaire so it's gotta be something else that keeps me motivated! :) I do this because I love food - I love the memories I have made with family and friends, I love cooking it, eating it - ok, and not so much the cleaning it up! ;) Thank goodness for five helpers (aka - my kiddos!)

One of my favorite childhood meals was tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. I loved those days. Life was so much simpler then, wasn't it? There was always something so comforting about a cheesy sandwich and being able to dunk in my tomato soup! One just isn't the same without the other .... 
Unless of course, you up the ante a bit and put it in a bread bowl!
Bread bowls take soup to soup heaven .... the only thing better is chocolate - because chocolate always wins. Soup, in case you don't know, is one of my favorite meals. I literally, could eat it in one form or another every single day.

Tomato soup is one of my faves. While I've outgrown tomato soup from a can, I have moved on to greener pastures. I like to make my own these days. With the help of my slow cooker, it makes it super simple. I personally, like the bread bowls, but a grilled cheese sandwich would be great too - and sometimes, I do go that route because it's quicker or it's just too darn hot or because I want to dunk a cheesy sandwich in my soup.

I tend to do my grocery shopping on Saturday mornings. Brian is home to watch the kids so I can usually go by myself or maybe take just one of them with me. On a recent trip to Walmart, I had plans to make this Creamy Italian Parmesan Tomato Soup. I picked up some Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano. I thought the added spices with be a nice addition to the soup - but if you can't find that, feel free to substitute regular Hunt's Diced Tomatoes instead! :)

I noticed this Flash Steam Freshness logo on my can of Hunt's tomatoes. They only use water in the process - no lye! Since Hunt's tomatoes are picked at the peak of ripeness and they're naturally delicious - it's a difference you can taste!
I like to make a double batch of this soup - in my 7 qt. slow cooker - to use for lunch throughout the week! It's perfect with grilled cheese sandwiches if you're out of bread bowls or you're in a time crunch!



{Slow Cooker} Creamy Italian Parmesan Tomato Soup with Parmesan Bread Bowls
Printable recipe
Yield: 6-8 servings of soup and 4 bread bowls

For the soup:
2 cans (14.5 oz each) Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 carton (32 oz.) vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half & half
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the bread bowls:
1 cup + 3 tbsp. warm water 
2 tbsp. olive oil 
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tsp. sugar 
1 tsp. salt 
3 cups bread flour 
2½ tsp. active dry yeast

To make the soup:
Place the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, Italian seasoning and broth in a 5 qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 

If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender or regular blender to process the soup (in batches, if necessary) until smooth. (If you used a regular blender, return the mixture back to the slow cooker.) About 30-45 minutes before serving, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the butter, stirring constantly. Slowly add the half & half, whisking constantly. Cook mixture until smooth and thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat and add in the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Add this mixture to the slow cooker and stir well. Cover the slow cooker and continue to cook an additional 30 minutes.

To make the bread bowls:
Place ingredients in a bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough setting. 

When the cycle is complete, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 400°F for 18-23 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Allow to cool. 

To serve: Cut off the top portion of the bread. Carefully hollow out the bowl leaving a ¼-inch shell. Fill the bowl with soup.


For more great recipes using Hunt's tomatoes, visit the Hunt's website or the Ready Set Eat website. 
Stay up to date on all of Hunt's special offers, recipes and news by following them on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest!

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Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Shipwreck Stew and a hopeful reunion .... some day!

Shipwreck Stew - a simple and economical dish full of ground beef, veggies and beans! Family friendly and comforting - don't let this dish's simplicity fool you!


So .... this is one of those posts that is extremely hard for me to write. Like so many, I came from a "broken home." My mother and my biological father divorced when I was very young - around the age of 3 or so. Believe me - those scars run deep. I never really knew much about my biological father or his side of the family, and I have very few memories from my childhood. 

I was one of the lucky ones, you could say. I was adopted by my step-dad and grew up having a "normal" life. Some of those old wounds have been medicated by having him in my life ... some will probably never completely heal this side of Heaven. I have sat on this post for quite awhile deciding how much I felt comfortable with sharing - or not, because it is such an emotional one for me. The truth is, it's not comfortable at all. It dredges up all of the pain, hurt and rejection I've carried most of my life - for 30-something years. After all of this time, it is still here. Most days, I am ok. On an occasion, it really gets to me, and it puts me in a funk. Somehow, I feel like sharing this will take some of the burden off of me because I know there are probably thousands and thousands of people out there who can relate. 


After I became an adult, I made contact with my biological father and his side of the family. Although I do not have contact with him, I do keep in contact with some of my aunts, uncles and cousins. My aunt, Wanda, posted on Facebook that she was making something called "Shipwreck Stew" .... I had never heard of this before. Apparently, it was something my grandma made. Maybe your family has a similar dish? Y'all know I love to cook (and eat!) - and I especially love how food has a tendency to bring people together. It was quite obvious how fond my aunts, uncles and cousins seemed of this dish. So many memories are made during a meal - whether we realize it or not .... So, I asked Wanda for the recipe. Of course, she happily obliged - thanks, Wanda! :) Although my Aunt Wanda didn't list it in the ingredients list, I'm pretty sure there was an extra cup or two of love put in this dish - the comments about this Shipwreck Stew from the family told me so. 


This dish is far from fancy ... and being perfectly honest, it totally made me cry as I ate it. I feel like I lost so many potential memories with some very wonderful people. What can I say, I am a huge cry baby! (Even as I write this post, I have to dry my eyes.) I may never have gotten the chance to share this with my grandparents, but if Heaven has a kitchen, something tells me there will be a bowl of this stew and a long overdue reunion waiting for me.





Shipwreck Stew
Printable recipe
Yield: 8-10 servings

2 lbs. ground beef

5-7 potatoes, peeled (if desired) and sliced thin or cubed

1 large onion, sliced thinly or finely chopped

5-7 stalks of celery, chopped

2 cans dark red kidney beans, liquid included

2 cans whole kernel corn, liquid included

2 cans diced tomatoes, juice included

salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium high heat, until no longer pink. Drain, if necessary. Layer in order: the potatoes, onions, celery, kidney beans, corn and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium-high heat until the stew starts to come to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Cook covered and stir occasionally. 

***According to my Aunt Wanda, this is a stew that gets better each time it's reheated!

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Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup

Y'all, we have had this Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup THREE times in the last two weeks. The first time I made it, Brian told me he could eat it every day - he liked it that much! This soup is a winner .... tried and true!

The first time I made this, I didn't add the beef or tomatoes ... It felt like something was missing. The second time, I added the beef, but still feel like it needed something else. The third time I added the tomatoes. Delish - and perfect!
This Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup is sooooo easy and so economical! You could easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the beef and switching the broth to vegetable broth. 
My family really loved this soup .... I think it's fair to say, we'll be eating this often! I might even try a chicken version, too!



Southwestern Beef Bean & Barley Soup
Printable recipe
Yield: 8 servings

1 tbsp. olive oil
1-1½ lb. beef stew meat, chopped into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
9 cups water
4 cups (one 32 oz. carton) reduced-sodium beef broth
½ cup pearl barley
⅓ cup dried black beans
⅓ cup dried great northern beans
⅓ cup dried kidney beans
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite-diced tomatoes
Sour cream and green onions, optional

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes. Add the water, broth, barley, all of the beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring just to a lively simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Add more water as necessary or if desired. Add the salt and tomatoes. Continue to cook an additional 30-45 minutes or until the beans are tender. Top individual bowls with sour cream and green onions, if desired.



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Chicken Noodle Soup & Kleenex Tissues for Cough, Cold and Flu Season

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Kleenex but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #KleenexTarget  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

One of the things I hate about this time of the year (other than the cold and snow - ha!), is this seems to be the time of the year everyone gets sick. As much as I try to keep my family healthy and away from germs, sometimes they still get sick. Unfortunately, having a large family often means that if one of us gets sick, all of us get sick. Definitely not good!


On a recent trip to Target, I stocked up on some winter necessities! I almost always have stuff on hand to make chicken and noodle soup or chicken and rice soup. I also grabbed a 4 pack box of Kleenex tissues. You never know when coughs, colds or even the flu is going to hit - and I like being prepared!


The weather has been super wacky here in Phoenix. We recently had 3 days of rain and from what I understand, it's not typical here - not even in the monsoon season. The temperatures took a major nose-dive as well. 

Abby woke up sick the other night. It's so hard to watch your children suffer when you feel so helpless. There's just not much you can do for them. Thankfully, my kiddos don't get sick too often - I just prayed that no one else got what she had!


How many times have you heard that he best things for you when you're sick is to get plenty of rest and fluids? When I was growing up, my gramma and my mom always gave me chicken noodle soup. I'm not sure if there were magical powers in that soup, but it always comforted me and made me feel better. I was always given a box of Kleenex tissues, saltine crackers and all the 7-Up I could drink. Come to think of it, that's the only time I was ever given a free ticket to drink all the soda I wanted! Normally, soda was a very rare treat for us! They also made sure I had an empty trash can close by if I had the flu (in case I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time, of course!)

With my own children, I find myself giving them the same advice - plenty of rest and fluids. When Abby wasn't feeling well the other day, I made some chicken noodle soup (she just picked out the noodles and ate them!) - and she had some crackers and 7-Up - just like my gramma and mom gave me when I was little. We kept the Kleenex tissues close as we watched Nick Jr. most of the day and snuggled!

Thankfully, whatever she had seemed to be a 24-hour bug - and no one else got sick! Praise the Lord! Since the winter season is just beginning, I am so glad I have stocked up on stuff to make more chicken noodle soup, and I have 6 boxes total of Kleenex tissues in the pantry! Something tells me I may need them! We usually have 2 or 3 boxes around the house in the winter months!


I do my chicken noodle soup a little different than most. I like my noodles to stay more firm, so I cook them separately and add them to the bowls individually. You could totally just add them to the soup and save yourself that hassle - but if you prefer a more firm noodle in your soup, this is definitely the way to do it! ;) They don't get as mushy! I've also included the method to cook the noodles in the soup below!



Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable recipe
Yield: 8 servings

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
4 quarts (16 cups) chicken stock
16 oz. dried wide egg noodles, cooked according to pkg. directions, drained and tossed with 1 tbsp. butter
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and carrots. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Pour the chicken stock in and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the chicken. Allow chicken to heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: scoop some of the noodles into individual bowls. Add some of the chicken, vegetables and broth over the top.

**NOTE: You can also cook the noodles directly in the soup - Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and carrots. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Pour the chicken stock in and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the chicken. Allow chicken to heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.


By the way, you can save $1 off Kleenex tissues 4-packs or larger by grabbing this Target coupon! It's great to have a few boxes on hand for cough, cold and flu season!



Loaded Baked Potato Soup
King Ranch Chicken Soup
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Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

Many of y'all know I love soup. I actually look forward to Fall and Winter for the sole reason of having an excuse to eat more soup. There's just something so comforting about it to me.
Some of you may also remember me telling you that I wasn't really a fan of potato soup growing up ..... I would sit there and stare at it for hours and my parents always threatened me with "having it for breakfast." Over the years, I found out it wasn't so bad, and now I do enjoy it on occasion. I have a few different variations that, in my mind, made it more palatable than I remember as a child. Having some cheese in my potato soup is always a big plus.

This Spicy Cheeseburger Soup has been a favorite for years. Sometimes - not always, I like to top it with bacon. I personally like to add a few dashes of hot sauce to mine - but not everyone in my family does, so we serve it on the side. Some fresh baked rolls or biscuits would be great with this soup! I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we do!



Spicy Cheeseburger Soup
Printable recipe
Yield: 6 servings

1 lb. ground beef
1½ cups water
2 cups cubed potatoes
2 small carrots, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2½ cups milk, divided
¼ cup all-purpose flour
8 oz. process American cheese, cubed
½ lb. sliced bacon, cooked and drained (optional)

In a large soup pot, cook and crumble the beef until no longer pink. Drain into a colander. Set aside until needed. In the same soup pot, combine the water, potatoes, carrots, onions, jalapenos, garlic, sand and pepper - Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked ground beef and 2 cups of milk. Heat through. In a small bowl, combine the additional ½ cup milk with the flour - whisk until smooth. Gradually add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese until it melts completely. Top individual servings with bacon, if desired.


Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
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Ham and Bean Soup

The weather was actually cool here in Phoenix this week .... as in, it was in the 80's! :) I really wanted some good, old-fashioned food like my gramma made - and this Ham and Bean Soup sounded like it would hit the spot.

I swear my gramma made the best food. As a child, I remember being mesmerized by the smells coming from her kitchen - and waiting in anticipation for dinner. My gramma was one of those kinds of people that would chase us kids out of her kitchen - she would tell us to go play outside - or go in the other room. LOL. Just thinking about it kinda makes me laugh - I remember finding my way back in there to watch her - and usually, as long as I stayed out of her way, she never said anything about me having to leave again. 
In December, my gramma would be gone for 17 years. I miss her every single day - and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have those moments in her kitchen. Much of what I "know" in the kitchen has come from her or my mom. 
I remember watching my gramma make Ham & Bean Soup .... she would get out her big pot and dump the beans in there. Then, she would sift through them - looking for rocks, beans that just looked bad or beans that mistakenly got in the wrong bag. Sometimes, we would have little smokies in place of the ham - but no matter what, it always turned out perfectly. 
Oh - and I always grew up eating this with diced onion on the top - it's how my gramma did it. If that's not your thing, it's completely optional - of course! Be sure to serve this with some Southern Cornbread on the side - yummmmo!


Ham and Bean Soup
Printable recipe
Yield: 6-8 servings

1 bag (1 lb. or 16 oz.) dried Great Northern beans
½ lb. ham, diced
6-8 cups chicken broth or water
Chopped onions for serving, optional

Rinse the beans, sorting out any rocks, or broken or discolored beans. 

Slow Cooker method: Soak the beans in water overnight. In the morning, drain the beans and discard the water. Add the beans, ham and 6 cups of broth to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 8-10 hours. Add more broth or water if necessary. If you prefer a creamier soup, you can mash some of the beans. 

Stove Top method: In the morning, put the beans in a large soup pot. Cover with water and allow to soak until about 2 hours before dinner. Drain the beans and discard the water. Return the beans to the pot and add 6 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Add the ham and continue to cook for another 30 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender. If you prefer a creamier soup, you can mash some of the beans.

To serve, top the beans with chopped onions (optional) and be sure to add some cornbread on the side! 

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Ham, Bean and Cabbage Soup
Chili - Like Wendy's 
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Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved