Lasagna Soup with an Apple Cider Mule
It’s Fall, y’all! That’s what Paula Deen would say, so it seemed only fitting that I try out her Taste Like Lasagna Soup – perfect for the falling temps we’re feeling lately! If you’re a Paula Deen super-fan, you already know that Paula has two sons, Jaime and Bobby- who have had their own successful cooking shows and several great spin-offs. What you might *not* know is that Bobby Deen has re-crafted and re-created many of Paula’s recipes without all of the fat, sodium and calories. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE, you ask?! PAULA LOVES FAT! PAULA LOVES BUTTER! Well, I’ve made Bobby’s “Tastes Like Lasagna Soup -Lightened Up” so many times I can’t count and I’m here to tell you – it’s DELCIOUS. But….given the fact that I am feeding company, we’re going real deal on the soup. I strayed from Paula’s recipe just a tad, adding a few ingredients, like sausage, even MORE cheese and some fresh basil 🙂 Although I dream of the day when I have 8 of my OWN individual soup crocks- like Paula suggests, we’re just going to top our soup with a ricotta/mozzarella/basil mixture We’re talking cheesy, comforting and full of toasty crunchiness -all in one dish. The only thing making this dish better is pairing it with an Apple Cider Mule!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 1/2 lb Neese’s Country Sausage
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 chopped green bell pepper
- 3 cloves minced, plus 2 cloves smashed garlic
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 (32 oz) box chicken broth
- 2 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups broken lasagna noodles
- 1 (5 oz) package grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups ricotta
- fresh basil -torn
- 1 thin French baguette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, sausage, onion, bell pepper and 3 cloves minced garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.
Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
*Here is where Paula suggests ladling equal potions of the soup into individual soup crocks and melting the mozzarella cheese under a broiler. Sounds great- if you’re rich and have that many soup crocks 🙂 but we don’t. So I mixed together the ricotta, mozzarella and basil and had everyone top their bowl with a heaping dallop – ooooh, the creaminess!
LIVE COOKING DEMO
The Cocktail
Apple Cider Mules – makes 1 mule
2 oz. vodka
ginger beer
sparkling cider
Sliced apple, for garnish
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish
- Fill copper mug with ice. Pour vodka into cup. Fill 2/3 full with sparkling cider, then top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick. Serve.
Final Say
WOWZA! The heartiness of this dish is full-on-FALL-comfort-food! My in-laws are in town from Minnesota so I was feeding a crowd and this dish did not disappoint! We had enough for seconds and everyone had a great time topping their own soups with the ricotta mixture, making it “their own” – total crowd pleaser! While I’ll probably continue to make Bobby’s lightened up version frequently -it’s that damn good!- this was a nice treat. Way to go, Paula!