Meatball Minestrone

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T olive oil
3 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, undrained and divided*
1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth
1 (4 oz.) pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix
30-40 precooked, frozen meatballs**
2 cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
8 oz. uncooked rotini pasta
1 (10 oz.) bag spinach, torn

garnish: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Stir in two cans of beans and chicken broth; bring to a boil.

Stir in vegetable soup mix until dissolved. Add meatballs, tomatoes and red pepper; return to a boil. Add rotini and cook, stirring often, 15 minutes. (I added sliced zucchini as well.) Stir in remaining can of beans and torn spinach; cook five more minutes.

Serve with bread and green salad. Serves 8+

From Southern Living magazine.

*I substituted a can of kidney beans for one of the cannellini cans just to add more color.

**Home made meatballs would be healthier, but the frozen makes this a quick and simple meal. The recipe called for 60 meatballs--I can't imagine that many! I used a family size package from HEB that had roughly 38-40 meatballs.

Green Chile Soup

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 (4.5 oz.) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (141/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed

**I also add a can of Great Northern beans, undrained

Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, sliced green onions.

Place first 10 ingredients in 31/2 -4-quart crock pot. Cover and cook on HIGH 4-6 hours or on LOW 8 hours. Serve soup with desired toppings and tortilla chips.

This recipe is from Southern Living Easy Weeknight Favorites.