I cannot live without the stuff. They are quick, convenient, tasty and for some reason they can make the worst piece of "leather like" meat taste rather yummy. On the nights when I had no idea what to make or worst yet could not muster enough energy up to so, I could always count of those trusty cream of something soups. Whether I threw one into a crock pot with chicken legs or smother a can over some rice with added veggies for colour, I always ended up with a decent edible meal. I admit I was a cream soup junkie and wanted come up with a healthier and frugal alternative than the contents of those cans.
After tonnes of searching I found my replacement.
When we have turkey dinner for special occasions or holidays, I ensure I cook and save the broth to make a large batch of cream of turkey soup. Normally I will get approximately 6 8oz jars to add to my freezer stash which gives us plenty until the next feed of Turkey. For the cream of mushroom I manage to pick up fresh slicked mushrooms on our clearance rack early in the morning. This makes it convenient and quick and even more appealing about the whole thing is the fact it is made in the crock pot.
I have been storing them in my canning jars tucked away in a divided box that fits in my chest freezer. The one downfall to this system is ensuring I remember to haul one out the night before to thaw in the fridge. I have resorted to thawing them in a sink of warm water enough to allow me to dump the contents into a saucepan to heat up because I would not suggest sticking them in the microwave as the drastic heat change can lead to cracking....how do I know? personal experience, trust me it was not pretty.
Here are my two recipes that I have been using with success.
Cream of chicken soup
Cream of mushroom soup
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