Made-Ahead Dinners

As the previous post suggests, I have been a crazy-soup-making lady lately! Here are the soups I've been making. I've also been given a great tip to make these soups and freeze them in ice cube trays. Then pop them out in to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to three months. Three or four ice cubes are a serving size. I made one soup and froze it in ice cube trays, which worked well, but it was a bit messy. The other three soups I put in individual ziplock bags with about one cup for single serving sizes.

NOTE: I increased the two cups of water to four cups and added a little extra pasta.

Enjoy!

Super Soups

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Makes: 8 servings

What You Need

Take 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil,
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product,
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth,
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix and
1 cup uncooked bite-sized pasta and
Mix & match your recipes from these options...

	meat options	vegetable choices	soup base possibilities
	1 lb. boneless chicken pieces (1 in.)	3 sliced carrots, 1/2 cup sliced celery, 1 small chopped onion	1 additional can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
	1 lb. ground beef	1 cup corn, 1 chopped bell pepper	1 jar (16 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
	1/4 lb. Oscar Mayer Pepperoni, coarsely chopped (add with the chicken broth)	1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 small chopped onion, 1 chopped bell pepper	1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce
	meatless	3 sliced carrots, 1 chopped bell pepper, 1 chopped zucchini	1 can (14-1/2 oz.) undrained diced tomatoes, 1 can (15-1/2 oz.) drained and rinsed kidney beans

Then follow our 3 simple steps...

COOK and stir meat in hot oil in large saucepan until cooked through; drain. Add vegetables; cook 3 to 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
ADD chicken broth, soup base, 2 cups water and dressing mix. Bring to a boil.
ADD pasta; cover. Simmer 10 to 12 min. or until pasta is tender. Add Velveeta; cook until melted, stirring occasionally.

TACO BELL® and HOME ORIGINALS® are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Freeze It

Allow soup to cool, then portion into smaller containers. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator as needed. Reheat small portions (about 2 servings of frozen soup) in the microwave on HIGH for about 5 min. or until heated through, stirring after 3 min.

 

Family Fun

For a change of pace, cut vegetables into interesting shapes and use fun shapes of pasta, such as stars or alphabets. Because smaller pastas may cook in a shorter time, follow package directions for suggested cook times.

 

Substitute

Prepare as directed, substituting 1 cup uncooked Minute Brown or White Rice for the uncooked pasta.