Getting the Most From Your Roast- Tortellini Beef Soup

I had some leftovers and I wanted to clear a few things out of the pantry and freezer. So here is how to turn your leftover roast into a soup.

On hand, I had the pan drippings, with the fat skimmed off from the roast, which was a brisket cooked with tomatoes, onions and wine. I would have made this on the stove, however, I had to run some errands so I used the crock pot.

Into the pot on high went cold, cubed roast, 2 carrots peeled and sliced, 6 cubes of beef bullion, about 2 cups of leftover boxed vegetable broth, the pan drippings and about 2-4 cups of water.

When the carrots were cooked, I added a can of Northern Beans that had been living in the cupboard for some time, a can of stewed tomatoes, the last of a bag of frozen corn, and some frozen tortellini.

I added a little extra balsalmic vinegar, and served it with grated Romano cheese. There was enough soup left over for lunch for two days.

Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 whole chickens
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 stalks celery, halved
• 4 bay leaves
• 8 carrots
• 1lb pasta
• 8-10 cubes bullion
• pepper

Directions:

1. Put chickens, onion, celery and bay leaves into pot and cover with cold water
2. Boil until chickens are fully cooked
3. Remove chickens, cool and debone
4. Remove and discard, celery and onion
5. Skim the top, and remove all the oil
6. Add bullion and carrots
7. When carrots are about half-way tender, add deboned chicken, shred into smaller bite-size pieces
8. Add pasta
9. Add fresh ground pepper to taste and more bullion if desired

I did not boil my pasta first, but you can do this so that it won't soak up the broth. I also used up the contents of two leftover boxes of pasta that were half-full.

Chunky Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 4lbs beef top round roast, cubed
• water
• 4-6 red potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 lb green beans
• 3-4 carrots, sliced and peeled
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 lb of pasta
• 1 large onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 8 cubes beef bullion
• 4 bay leaves
• pepper

Directions:

1. Add beef, onion, celery, and bay leaves to pot, covering with cold water
2. cook on low heat for 2 hours or until beef is cooked through, stirring occasionally
3. strain any fat or grease off of the top, remove onions, celery and bay leaves
4. add bullion, pepper,carrots and potatoes, cook on low-medium for 1 hour
5. add pasta, corn and green beans
6. cook until pasta, green beans and potatoes and carrots a done
7. add salt cautiously, if needed and pepper to taste, sometimes I even add more bullion instead of salt, if needed
   Serve with dinner rolls

Normally I make this recipe with soup bones as well, but I forgot them. This is a great recipe because you can add any of your favorite vegetables, or even beans. Overall, this is a pretty wallet-friendly recipe, and you can eat the leftovers for lunch or serve them with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for dinner the next night.

Chunky Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 4lbs beef top round roast, cubed
• water
• 4-6 red potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 lb green beans
• 3-4 carrots, sliced and peeled
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 lb of pasta
• 1 large onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 8 cubes beef bullion
• 4 bay leaves
• pepper

Directions:

1. Add beef, onion, celery, and bay leaves to pot, covering with cold water
2. cook on low heat for 2 hours or until beef is cooked through, stirring occasionally
3. strain any fat or grease off of the top, remove onions, celery and bay leaves
4. add bullion, pepper,carrots and potatoes, cook on low-medium for 1 hour
5. add pasta, corn and green beans
6. cook until pasta, green beans and potatoes and carrots a done
7. add salt cautiously, if needed and pepper to taste, sometimes I even add more bullion instead of salt, if needed
   Serve with dinner rolls

Normally I make this recipe with soup bones as well, but I forgot them. This is a great recipe because you can add any of your favorite vegetables, or even beans. Overall, this is a pretty wallet-friendly recipe, and you can eat the leftovers for lunch or serve them with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for dinner the next night.