Lasagna Soup with Cracked Pepper & Garlic Crostini

Today was a fabulously lazy day at home. I had a much deserved Sunday at home and decided to spend it putting up Christmas decorations and making dinner for my family. After a long day at my second job yesterday, smiling and greeting crazy after Thanksgiving shoppers, I kicked back with my hubby and watched Paula's Party. I just love Paula Deen and what she has made of herself. Her theme last night was Italian night and let me tell you, if it hadn't been almost midnight I would have been in the kitchen cooking. We were so drooling over all of her dishes. So, today I tried my hand at Paula's Taste Almost Like Lasagna Soup. Let me tell you my friends, there are absolutely no words for this one. You will just have to try it for yourself. I can tell you though that it will be a go to comfort food for hubby and I. Here ya go!


Ingredients
1 pound ground chuck (I used ground turkey breast)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles (I use gluten-free)
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic Crostini, recipe follows


Garlic Crostini:1 thin French baguette (or your favorite crusty Gluten-Free bread)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately.

For the garlic crostini:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves.

ENJOY YA'LL!




(My thoughts: I added in 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms with the bell pepper and onion since we like mushrooms in our lasagna sauce. It added a little something extra and more texture to the soup.)

Texas Longhorn Crunch

Some of my favorite memories as an adult were spent living in the Tennessee Valley with my husband. The scenary was absolutely gorgeous and the seasons were long and beautiful. Every Fall, my parents would drive up from Texas and spend a week when the leaves were beginning to change. They loved it so much they would even take the 15 hour drive back in a couple of weeks to spend Thanksgiving week with us. Mom and Dad would come bearing homemade goodies like Daddy's lipsmacking bbq sauce or Mom's CinnaMOMsters, and they always had 20+ pounds of good ol' Texas pecans for cracking. Each Fall visit my Daddy could be found on my back porch cracking pecans for our holiday baking while enjoying the beautiful mountain scenary. Sometimes I wonder if he ate as many of those pecans as he gave...hmmm. Those are my precious memories and I wouldn't change a single one. My Daddy passed away Father's Day weekend 2007. I have no regrets, he knew how very much I loved him. This beautiful Fall weekend, I just had to make one of my Daddy's favorite Fall treats, homemade Caramel Corn. The basic recipe for the caramel corn is my mom's recipe. I hope you will try this recipe and will make many memories with your family popping the corn and waiting with a watering mouth as it roasts away! Enjoy! (Later tonight I will be posting my grand finishing touch to make this my famous Texas Longhorn Much!)

Caramel Corn Ingredients:
1 cup popcorn kernels (popped to make 5 quarts of popped corn)
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups toasted nuts
Pop corn and keep warn in large roasting pan in oven.

Combine remaining ingredients except baking soda and nuts in a large 2-quart heavy pan over medium heat. Stir until brown sugar dissolves and continue to boil to firm ball stage (248 degrees).


Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Pour hot syrup over popped corn and toasted nuts, stirring to combine well.

Return to preheated 250 degree oven for 15 minutes, stir corn and repeat heating and stirring two more times. Cool thoroughly and store in air tight container.

Optional: Texas Longhorn Cruch Version

1 cup semi sweet, milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in bowl in microwave for one minute, stir, and return to microwave for 15 more seconds, stir until smooth. After caramel corn has finished cooking, pour out two to three cups and dip in melted chocolate. Place chocolate dipped caramel corn on wax covered cookie sheet and chill in fridge until set. After set, mix with remaining undipped caramel corn. Delicious!