2 servings per can?!

If you've ever looked at the nutrition label on a can of soup, you know that each can is two servings. Granted some cans are larger than others, but really? You're supposed to get two servings out of one can? One can fits in one bowl so to me, that means it should be one serving. But say you need to split a can of soup with someone (because you both want that LAST bowl of minestrone) else, and you know half that can will just not fill you up, then what? Add rice! You'll get a full bowl of food and you'll stretch that soup. You can even make it stretch with yourself - have half the can for lunch and the other half for dinner, or for lunch the next day.

I made some rice in the rice cooker, and put normal size scoops in my bowl. I used a white rice, but obviously you can use brown if you want to be healthier.

Then just tossed on half the can of my "traditional split pea soup" from Progresso

Mixed it together and voila - a full bowl of food for lunch, using only half the can of soup

This is also good for the budget conscious. Between the price of a big bag of rice, and half a can of soup you're talking as little as $0.75 for the meal, up to maybe $1.50 max.

Pizza soup (crock pot)

An online mom group that I'm apart of had "pizza soup" as the weekly food challenge. This was my submission.

-5 links of turkey sausage
-1 small green bell pepper
-14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes
-14.5-ounce can Italian style diced tomatoes
-14.5-ounce can low fat beef broth
-1 container sliced white mushrooms
-half a cup of cut up summer sausage
-1 teaspoon onion flakes
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon "pizza seasoning"
-shredded mozzarella

-I took the sausage out of the casings and then browned them in olive oil in a frying pan, breaking them up into small pieces.
-Cut up the green bell pepper into chunks.
-Put the meat, bell pepper, broth, diced and stewed tomatoes in the crock pot and cooked it on low for 5 hours.
-I added the mushrooms, summer sausage, onion flakes, garlic powder, and pizza seasoning and cooked on low for an additional half hour.
-Once it was done, and cooled to room temperature I put it in the fridge and then today for dinner heated it up and added mozzarella if desired (Kaylyn doesn't like cheese on things so she goes without).

It was mighty yummy. Very much pizza soup. We ate it all up and it's definitely something I'll make again.

Crock pot Zuppa Toscana (crock pot)

As part of the "soups and stews" food challenge that my mom group was having, I did this. It's apparently a very popular soup at Olive Garden, though I had never heard of it before a friend posted about it. I found a crock pot version online, and made it.

1lb Italian sausage
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup onion
3 large russett potatoes (cubed)
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup bacon bits
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 container of sliced white mushrooms
Kale

Crumble Italian sausage and put in crock pot with chicken broth, garlic, potatoes, onion, and mushrooms and cook on high for 4 hours until potatoes & sausage are cooked. Add bacon bits, whipping cream and cut up kale right before serving.

My mom and I both really liked it. She said it's right up there with my South Carolina Catfish Stew. The Italian sausage could easily be swapped out for different meat and also be good.