On the Menu: Creamy Kale and Sausage Soup

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Hillshire Farm but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #buy3save3 http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

I have not one, but two, easy dinner recipes on the blog this week because the weather is cold, my body wants delicious warm, home-cooked meals, and the season inspires me to actually get in the kitchen and cook.

I don't frequent the kitchen very often - it's not a domain I'm comfortable in or particularly enjoy, buy occasionally the cooking bug hits me and I want to make something delicious. I took it for granted as a kid that food would be on the table, delicious, and my family would enjoy it together. It was the norm for me to enjoy every single dinner with my family, no electronics in the background (or foreground), nothing but conversation about our days, politics, books, schoolwork. It was also the norm to eat healthy, well-balanced, and insanely good meals. 

My mom came home from work and started on dinner. Every single day. I don't know if she just has a work ethic to beat all others, or if it was the magic of a glass of red wine. But she started on elaborate meals that would be ready at 7:30 or 8 p.m. They were delicious, varied, comforting, and they spoiled me. I never needed to learn how to cook with my mom's amazing kitchen work to subsist on. We were, as I've said before, so spoiled. 

When I think to the future, I want to be that superhuman mom to my children, just like my mom was. I want them to take for granted that there will always be a delicious meal coming out of the kitchen. I want them to eat at my house, not someone else's. I want them to remember my Chinese dumpling soup, or my manapua, fresh out of the steamer. I want them to know that I baked their bread, their pizza doughs, and their cinnamon rolls... not bought them. And that all starts in the kitchen. 

Read on to learn how to make some delicious creamy kale and Hillshire Farm beef smoked sausage soup, pictured above.

You'll need:

Hillshire Farm® Angus Rope Smoked Sausage

7 red potatoes, cubed

1 red onion, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

1 bunch kale, torn into bite size pieces

2 cups 2% milk

1 cup half and half

1 teaspoon oregano

Red pepper flakes, pepper to taste

Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 1 hour

Cut your Hillshire Farm® Angus Rope Smoked Sausage into 1/2 inch thick pieces and toss in a large soup pot. Add your diced red onion, 7 red potatoes cubed, 3 cups chicken broth, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and teaspoon of oregano into the pot. Turn burner to high and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer soup for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

After 40 minutes simmering, add bite size pieces of kale to the soup pot along with the 2 cups 2% milk and 1 cup of half and half. Add more seasoning to taste if necessary. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy! It's even better with leftovers the next day.

I picked up all of the ingredients for this delicious fall soup at Safeway and they're having a fantastic deal right now as part of the Just for U program. If you buy three Hillshire Farm products, you can save $3 on your purchase. It's a great deal for stocking up on hearty fall meats.

If this recipe doesn't strike your fancy, check out the Hillshire Farm website for more recipes!

*Adapted from this recipe