Fall is here and this Harvest Soup is going to be your new favorite thing. I don’t know why but lately I’ve been into soups. Which is actually crazy because growing up as a kid, I always felt that it was a great injustice to be served soup for supper. Soup? Really? Where’s the rest of my meal? She’s trying to starve me I would think to myself as I watched my mother serve it up. I couldn’t understand why adults would waste a ridiculously good opportunity to eat something great on soup.

Well I’m a big girl now, and just like I understand the need for a good Sunday afternoon nap, I have a also learned to appreciate a good bowl of soup.  I will say though,  that if your going to serve soup for supper, then you better have some real good bread to serve with it. I mean something fresh baked and cheesy maybe. I’m all about the cheese bread. In fact anything less would probably be unacceptable.

I actually made this soup by accident. I started off making another soup and realized I didn’t have half the ingredients I needed and ended up throwing this all together. The results were fabulous and I just had to blog it before I forget what I did. Forgive the picture as it really doesn’t do this soup justice. But again, I really wasn’t planning on blogging it!

I used my my absolute favorite dutch oven pot. I picked mine up a few years ago at the Care and Share thrift shop. It was $6 and I LOVE it, but you can use any large pot. Whenever I make soup, I make it in the morning so it has time to mesh and all that lovely stuff. I let it simmer for about an hour and turn it off for the day. You can thicken it up a bit when reheating it, just before serving. I find soup always tastes better after its sat on the stove for the day and don’t really trust those 2 hour soup recipes.

I served this Harvest Soup with mini B.L.T.S (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) on fresh cheese bread and it was wonderful!

As always, enjoy!

Laila

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Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers are HEALTHY!

I once heard someone say that the more colorful your food, is the better it is for you. I always think of that when I making these stuffed peppers. They have so much color and they taste as good as they look! I always use green peppers in this recipe but you can use whatever peppers you like. I’d love to try it in a roasted poblano pepper one day and if I do I promise I’ll share.

CHEESE

Let’s talk cheese for a second. I LOVE cheese. It’s honestly one of my favorite foods and it’s definitely my guilty pleasure. You can pretty much top these taco stuffed peppers with whatever cheese you like. If it were just me eating them, I would top them with a spicy monterey jack but since i have 4 kids and they would not be happy, I use a pretty tame mexican blend from the shredded cheese section. I have been known to make a few of them spicy in the past though. Which is another great thing about these stuffed peppers. They are so customizable.

Alright that’s enough talk. Let me know how it goes!

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Taco Stuffed Peppers

A healthy and delicious twist on stuffed peppers. These Taco Stuffed Peppers are packed with goodness and flavor. Meaty bites of ground turkey in a delicious seasoning with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword bell peppers, cumin, green peppers, ground turkey, jalapenos, mac and cheese, onion, stuffed peppers, taco stuffed peppers, Tacos

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

FILLING

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 tbsp chopped jalapenos I use the Old El Paso pickled ones in the jar. If using fresh make sure you remove all the seeds for less heat
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes drained really well
• 1 cup corn drained if using canned

FOR THE PEPPERS

• 4 green bell peppers cut in half length wise
• ½ cup chicken broth
• shredded cheese for topping I use Cracker Barrel Tex Mex
• sour cream for garnish
• paprika for garnish

Instructions

FILLING

• In a large skillet (I use my wok pan) cook the ground turkey over medium heat. Breaking it apart and season it with salt and pepper.
• Add in your diced onion onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, black beans, corn and tomatoes, taco seasoning and cumin.
• Mix well. Simmer on low for 20 minutes lid removed so that all the excess liquid evaporates

FOR THE PEPPERS

• Preheat oven to 400 °
• Cut the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and stems. Rinse them well and pat dry with paper towel.
• Place the peppers cut side up in an oven proof dish (I use a glass Pyrex dish).
• Fill each pepper with the turkey mixture trying to leave as much liquid in the pan as you can.
• Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake covered for 30 minutes then remove peppers and top with cheese.
• Bake for an additional 2 minutes (uncovered) or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. I broil mine. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and top with cilantro and paprika for garnish

Enjoy!

Laila

If you love this you HAVE to try this Mexican Lasagna!

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Guys, Easy One Pan (you’re welcome) Mexican Rice is going to be your new fave. It is so cheap and so easy, you will seriously wonder where it has been all your life.

Okay so if you haven’t noticed by now (especially if you follow me on Instagram) I LOVE Mexican food. Like eat it every day and never get bored love it. Tacos, burrito’s, guac (which should never be extra) and more, it is just so flippin comforting. Anyway if you don’t like it there is probably something wrong with you (sorry not sorry) and you won’t like half of the posts around here. BUT if you love it or even just like it then you have come to the right place. I’m always messing around with Mexican and I think I’ve perfected this one pan (cause who needs more dishes) Mexican rice.

This Mexican rice is similar to the rice you would be served in a Mexican restaurant. It’s just a tad fried yet still fluffy and the toasted cumin in the pan mixed with lime juice is chef worthy. It pairs nicely as a side dish with tacos or even my Mexican Lasagna or Healthy Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers! Alright, you know how I feel about long recipe posts so here we go.

I love getting creative with Mexican rice by adding in some black beans and corn or tex mex cheese and tomatoes or avocados! I would love to see how this recipe shapes up in your kitchen. Share some pictures and your own creations below!

Enjoy,

Laila

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I love these Milk Chocolate M&M cookies! They are SO GOOD!

It’s hard believe March Break is already here. I am so excited! Mostly because the clocks go forward this Sunday (you’re welcome) and it’s one step closer to SPRING!! Also because it’s a really  good reason to eat these Milk Chocolate M&M Cookies!

I decided this week would be a great week to share all the fun foods we like to make around here and why not, Spring is in the air and these milk chocolate M&M cookies are so good

Every year I fantasize about all the fun things the kids and I will do on March Break. Oh it will be glorious. We will go to places like the Science Center and everyone will be happy and nice and we’ll learn and bond and see butterflies and rainbows. When in reality we will probably wake up late, spend 25 min trying to find parking because the place is a zoo. Stand in line for 30 min (and pay copious amounts of money) only to have everyone complain the whole time and fight about which floor we’re going to next. Leaving  me standing in an elevator with my face glazed over wondering why I ever thought it was a good idea to come here during March Break and why the heck we didn’t get out of there before rush hour.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the Science Center and I love taking my kids on outings. Just not when the rest of the world is also taking their kids on outings.

SO this year we’re changing it up. We’re staying local. Like home local and we’re making cookies and pizzas and if we’re really in the mood we might hit up the free lego hour at the local library. Did I mention it was free? Anyway I’ve had cookies on the brain. So here’s another excuse to make them.

I LOVE these cookies. They are are so chewy and chocolaty and I think the bright colored M&M’s just make me happy. Or maybe its the chocolate…. Anyway I really love making them and the kids do too. I adapted this recipe from an old cook book I have that called for chocolate chips and walnuts and shortening but these are much better. The only thing I find slightly annoying is that you have to refrigerate the dough for 30 min and I am kind of impatient. Don’t skip this step though (believe me), as my Dad always says “patience is a virtue”.

Of course, as always, feel free to let me know how it goes or how you made it better!

TRY THESE COOKIES

– Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

– Cookie Dots 

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Milk Chocolate M&M Cookies

These cookies are loaded with lot of milk chocolate M&M's and are SO GOOD. Perfect with a big glass of milk for dipping.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies, M&M, M&M cookies

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour all purpose
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups milk chocolate M&M's

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°
• In a medium sized bowl, beat butter and sugars together until smooth. Then beat in eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl gently mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Stir into butter mixture
• Mix in M&M’s
• REFRIGERATE FOR 30 MIN (don’t skip it)
• Drop tablespoon sized amounts of cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I kinda roll them with my hand and then flatten them a little. You don’t want them to be to thick.
• Bake in oven for 10-11 minutes. You will want them to be slightly under baked and golden brown around the edges. If you  start to smell them, they are probably ready to come out!
• Transfer to wire rack to cool

Need a little dinner inspiration?

– The Best Ever Mac and Cheese Recipe EVER 

–Smoky Meatballs

-Healthy Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers

-Mexican Lasagna 

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The post Milk Chocolate M&M Cookies appeared first on The Good Wives Blog.

This Smoky Meatball Recipe is a game changer. I wish the picture would do these smoky meatballs justice. When my cousin brought them to a Super Bowl potluck a few years ago I literally almost lost my mind! They are so good and taste like they’ve been slow cooked in a smoker all day which is why we call them smoky meatballs! They will fill your home with a sweet smoky barbecue aroma that will have you dreaming of a backyard cookout and your kids begging for dinner. Seriously my kids asked me every 5 minutes.

The Secret Ingredient

If you haven’t discovered liquid smoke yet than prepare to be mind blown. Don’t skip this ingredient. DO NOT skip it!!! It’s cheap to buy and can be found here. You’re going to want to add this to everything and I say do it! It’s amazing in everything especially pulled pork, baked beans, barbecue sauces and obviously these smoky meatballs!

Another pro? They make soooo many meatballs (20-24 servings!)  You can easily have 2-3 meals if your feeding an army like us or even more depending on the size of your family and the size of your stomach! These smoky meatballs freeze really well and they have only a few ingredients. Sometimes simple is just better.

Are these smoky meatballs good for potlucks you ask? Heck yes they are. All those frozen precooked crock pot meatballs will be put to shame. And listen, I’m not hating on frozen meatballs,  I’ve served them up plenty of times, they just pail in comparison to these guys, and once you try these, there is no going back. Prepare to be the star of the show.

Smoky Meatball Sides

I love to serve these meatballs with a side of creamy mashed potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts but you could also do rice or anything else you feel like.  I just love how the sauce from the meatballs gets into the mashed and makes a beautiful gravy! Another excellent side is this classic creamy coleslaw. It goes so well with the sauce from the meatballs and my kids actually love it!

Try this!

TRY THIS MAC AND CHEESE!

If I’m having a party like SUPER BOWL or another get together where I am looking to feed a lot of people this mac and cheese goes beautifully!

TRY THESE TURKEY MEATBALLS STUFFED WITH CHEESE

TRY THIS SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK

Okay, let’s do this!

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Smoky Meatballs

These meatballs are so good! Sweet and smoky, cooked in a homemade BBQ sauce. The recipe makes a large amount of meatballs and they freeze really well. These meatballs will be your new family favorite!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ sauce, homemade, meatballs, smoky meatballs, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Author thegoodwivesblog.com

Ingredients

• 3 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 13 oz can of evaporated milk
• 2 cups quick oatmeal
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. chili powder

Sauce

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 tbls. liquid smoke
• ½ tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Prepare the meatballs by mixing all the meatball ingredients into large mixing bowl. I hate to say it but there’s no better kitchen utensil for mixing meatballs than your hands. Roll up your sleeves!
• Roll into balls about the size of a golf ball or slightly bigger. Place on flat plans lightly greased

Sauce

• Mix all your sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. I use a spoon and place about one spoonful over each meatball.
• Bake covered at 350 degrees for 60- 70 minutes

As always, I love hearing from you and I LOVE seeing your photo’s even more. Upload your pictures on social media using #thegoodwivesblog and invite me into your kitchen  

Enjoy!

Laila

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I love and would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read full privacy policy  policy.

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