Throw What You Got in the Pot!

I've been on a kick lately of working through what we've got in the pantry & the freezer.
Dinners have been based around the ingredients I've had on hand.

My pantry and fridge generally looks like a little mini grocery store.
I have all my staples and lots of other items in between.
I usually buy what's on sale to keep the pantry stocked & then I base our meals off that.
Sometimes I have specific things in mind that need exact ingredients,
but my usual style of cooking is a meat and a couple sides.
I always have certain things here to build from -- our favorites -- the usuals.

You know how it is, sometimes you stock up & stock up ...
and at some point, you need to eat what you have before you buy anymore.

That's where I've been lately  -- determined to use my freezer and pantry stock.

I'm happy to say that the garage freezer meat is gone,
with the exception of one lone roll of Bob Evans sausage & one package of turkey bacon.
I used my last package of ground beef on Tuesday.

Why does that make me happy?
Because I like to use the items while they are 'fresh' and I feel accomplished that I've stuck to my mission.

While my pantry is far from empty, I've used things that needed to be used.
Now that we are entering the winter/holiday season,
I'll be stocking up on the necessary baking ingredients.
You never know when you may be invited to a get-together ...
or the cookies you'll need bake right before you watch a Christmas movie. 

All that being said, I wanted to share a delicious soup recipe that I came up with the other night.
I knew what I had on hand, my starting ingredients, so I googled GOULASH recipes to get
a general idea on what direction to head.
The end result:  sheer soupy heaven!
I'll definitely be making this one again.

There's nothing better than a big kettle of soup simmering on the stove ... well, until it hits your mouth, that is.

So, I've lovingly called this soup "Throw What You Got in the Pot Goulash."
(In case you don't know what goulash is, click here.)

1 lb ground beef
1 lb breakfast sausage (I used Bob Evans)
1 32 oz box beef broth
1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 16 oz can chili beans, undrained
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2-4 cups of water (depending on thickness desired)
2 cups uncooked macaroni
variety of peppers, chopped (I used 1 green, one red, one purple - yes it was purple)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
sprinkle of crushed red pepper

Brown the ground beef & sausage together & drain off.
Add in peppers, onions, & spices & simmer together for 5-10 minutes to develop flavor.
Add all the remaining ingredients & stir well.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Serve when the macaroni is cooked through (approx. 30 minutes minimum).

Top with shredded cheese & a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

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