Chicken Gnocchi Soup

So if you guys love a great and quick filling soup, love Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocchi soup  and have less than an hour on your hands, make this!! Trust me!

Last week Casey and I went to Olive Garden with a gift card he had gotten from a customer. I had never had the Chicken and Gnocchi soup before but really enjoyed it. As we were eating it Casey said, "Yiu think you could make this? what do you think is in it?" Which is something very typical of him to do. Always curious is we ( by we he means me:) re-create something we ha e had at a restaurant. So of course I went to Pinterest. I found a few and from there I would pick and choose what I thought should be in it, plus add a few items as well. 

So here is what I did....and I think it was great if I do say so myself! :)

A creamy delicious hearty soup full of veggies, chicken and potato gnocchi.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2. (Or a rotisserie chicken)
3. 1 Tbs olive oil
4. 4 Tbs butter
5. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6. 1 small onion, chopped
7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
8. 6 cups chicken broth
9. 2 cups milk
10. 2 cups half and half
11. 1 cup carrots, shredded
12. 1 cup celery, diced
13. 2 tsp parsley flakes
14. Salt and pepper for seasoning
15. 1 package (16 ounces) mini potato gnocchi
16. 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In large stock pot, melt butter and olive oil together.
2. Add your onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until onions become translucent.
3. Whisk in your flour and let cook for a minute, slowly stir in your chicken broth and simmer until it starts to thicken up.
4. In a separate pot, cook your gnocchi according to package directions, drain and set aside.
5. Add your milk to your veggie and chicken broth mix and bring to a boil, stir in your seasonings.
6. Once at a boil reduce heat and add your gnocchi, spinach and chicken simmering until heated through and thickened.
7. Take off the heat, add the half and half and serve

NOTES

1. I added half and half since I had it on hand, but I did see a recipe say that "If your soup is too thin for your liking add 1Tbs cornstarch mixed with 1Tbs cold water and stir into your soup until thickened."
2. 

Adapted from Olive Garden

Chili.....Mmmmm :)

After trying a few different chili recipes and thinking they were to tomatoey I tried this and it was a hit at my house. When the husband says "Keep this recipe" you know it's pretty good! 👍

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 (14 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes
1 (10 oz) Rotel 
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes sauce
2 cups of water
1.5 cups of beef broth
1 tablespoon worchestshire 
2 packages of Chili seasoning ( 1 mild and 1 original)
1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, undrained 
1 ( 14 oz) can of pinto beans, undrained 
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Press ground beef into the hot oil to form one large patty; let the bottom brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir and break the ground beef into crumbles and cook until no longer pink, about 5 more minutes. 
2. Stir celery, onion and green pepper into ground beef and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; pour in stewed tomatoes, Rotel, tomatoes sauce, water and broth. Break apart large chunks of stewed tomatoes. Stir in chili packs. 
3. Mix beans into chili, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Last add in vinegar and worchestchire. 

We like to add shredded cheese and sour cream. Sometimes we might add corn chips or spaghetti noodles as well. Always fun to mix it up. Enjoy!

Chili.....Mmmmm :)

After trying a few different chili recipes and thinking they were to tomatoey I tried this and it was a hit at my house. When the husband says "Keep this recipe" you know it's pretty good! 👍

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 (14 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes
1 (10 oz) Rotel 
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes sauce
2 cups of water
1.5 cups of beef broth
1 tablespoon worchestshire 
2 packages of Chili seasoning ( 1 mild and 1 original)
1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, undrained 
1 ( 14 oz) can of pinto beans, undrained 
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Press ground beef into the hot oil to form one large patty; let the bottom brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir and break the ground beef into crumbles and cook until no longer pink, about 5 more minutes. 
2. Stir celery, onion and green pepper into ground beef and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; pour in stewed tomatoes, Rotel, tomatoes sauce, water and broth. Break apart large chunks of stewed tomatoes. Stir in chili packs. 
3. Mix beans into chili, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Last add in vinegar and worchestchire. 

We like to add shredded cheese and sour cream. Sometimes we might add corn chips or spaghetti noodles as well. Always fun to mix it up. Enjoy!