"We thought the time was ripe for an update of the tired cream-of-mushroom or cream-of-chicken soup recipes, because canned soup can be used for so much more than that," said Donna Kelly, co-author of a new cookbook, "101 Things to Do With Canned Soup" (Gibbs Smith, $9.95).
Kelly, a Utah County prosecutor, has penned several other cookbooks in Gibbs Smith's popular "101" series. This one was written with Stephanie Ashcraft of Tucson, Ariz., who wrote the original "101 Things to Do With a Cake Mix."
There are so many more soups on the market now, added Kelly. She especially likes those with Southwestern flavors, such as creamy ranchero tomato and chicken chile verde.
The duo included some old classics, such as tuna noodle casserole. "But we added some interesting variations and new flavors," she said. "And a lot of the recipes are totally brand new, such as the Upside-Down Pizza Casserole, which uses drained minestrone soup as a base."
DO-IT-YOURSELF QUESADILLAS
3 cups cooked ground turkey or beef
3 cups minced onions and/or peppers
1 10.75-ounce can condensed nacho cheese soup
12 8-inch tortillas
2 cups grated Mexican-style cheese blend
Place meat, onion, peppers and tomatoes in separate bowls. Allow each person to choose the amounts and types of fillings, as suggested below. Heat a 10-inch frying pan to medium heat. Spread 1 tablespoon of soup on a tortilla and place it dry side-down in pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup ground meat, 1/2 cup peppers and/or onions, 1/4 cup tomatoes and 1/3 cup cheese on top.
Spread another tortilla with 1 tablespoon soup, and place soup-side down on top of quesadilla. Press with a spatula to remove air bubbles. Cook uncovered about 2 minutes and then turn over and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Tortillas should be golden brown and crisp on the outside. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Garnish with guacamole, sour cream and/or salsa if desired. Makes 6 quesadillas.
Variation: Replace soup with chicken chile verde or southwest pepper jack soup.
UPSIDE DOWN PIZZA CASSEROLE
2 19-ounce cans ready-to-serve minestrone soup
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dry Italian seasoning
2 cups diced pepperoni or cooked Italian sausage
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 3-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and discard 1/2 cup liquid from each can of soup. Pour remainder in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Stir in tomato paste, garlic powder, seasoning and meat, spreading mixture evenly in pan. Sprinkle mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan on top. Unroll pizza dough and lay on top of cheese; cut to fit. Make a few slits in dough to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until crust is browned.
Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Cut in squares and turn upside down on each plate as you serve. Garnish with remaining cheese. Makes 8-10 servings.
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com
1 comments:
Looks tasty! Congrats.
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