New seasons bring new cravings

Lately I've been craving homemade Chicken Wild Rice soup like crazy.

I'm fortunate to get two, count them: TWO, girls' weekends this summer! I was thinking that for the 2nd trip, I'd make my beloved Chicken Wild Rice soup and my excitement level skyrocketed.

It'll be the last weekend of September- just when it's starting to get a little cooler outside and who doesn't like CWR soup when it's cold, can I get an Amen?!

But alas, when there's 9 girls and food involved, you just know that someone is going to spoil it and yep someone "doesn't like soup", so no soup for me!... and I might hate her now- just a little but I can't help it, I don't get my beloved soup and really, who doesn't like soup!?!

Now I should clarify NO recipes posted on this site are "mine" meaning Mandy Created. Oh no, that'll never happen. Instead I eat yummy food my friends have prepared, get the recipes and either make or adapt them. With that being said, I need to give credit where credit is due and I forgot to a couple of months ago, The Mac & Cheese recipe was given to me by my lovely friend Sarah who always seems to be cooking up something delicious. I'm not sure if it was her creation or she just passed it along but she was MY source.

I've gotten two really great Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipes (thanks Heidi and Melissa!!) and I've merged the two of them together for extra deliciousness:

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1 cup Wild Rice cooked*

1 lb bacon, diced

1/2 bag baby carrots diced

1 Celery rib, diced

1 large onion, diced

2- 4oz. cans sliced mushrooms

1 pint Half & Half

2 cans Cream of Potato soup

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 Chicken bouillon cube

1 Rotisserie chicken shredded warning, I consider shredding a Rotisserie chicken to be the grossest thing you can do in a kitchen so be sure to put your Big Girl pants on first and gear up for the gagfest you're about to have….or just make your husband do it.

Parsley flakes

Salt & Pepper

*The only wild rice I could find was not cooked, so if you have to cook your own, start right away. Cook according to package directions- in 5 cups of water, cook until tender approximately 55 minutes. Drain, but reserve any leftover water.

Fry Bacon in a LARGE soup pot. Remove bacon, set aside. In the bacon drippings, saute carrots and celery for a couple of minutes, then add onion and saute until onion is clear/soft.

Combine all other ingredients and heat thoroughly. If too thick, add reserved wild rice water.

Option: to heighten awesome add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese along with all other ingredients