Zuppa Toscana Soup (In a Crockpot!) With Mom's Parmesan Rolls

Mondays are kind of crazy for me now. Lucy still takes a morning nap and then Lily has dance lessons in the mornings, next its home for lunch time and nap time again. Then at 3:30 I need to be at my mom's house teaching piano lessons and I don't get home until after 6 so it leaves very little time for dinner preparation. I think crock pot meals on Mondays are going to be the main plan for me. I love this soup. I made it a couple times last soup season and was so excited to make it again. It will make your house smell amazing! Your taste buds, tummy, and probably your entire being will feel like heaven.

Zuppa Toscana Crock Pot Soup & Mom's Parmesan Rolls 

(Tastes Better Than Olive Garden's)

Adapted from the recipe I found here:  

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Ground Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild according to your preference)

4-6 Russet Potatoes cut into bit size cubes (I only used 4 since the potatoes I got were HUGE!)

1 Onion, minced

1/4 Cup Real Bacon Pieces (I just got Oscar Meyer precooked bacon and microwaved 6 pieces and crumbled it)

2 Tb. Garlic, Minced (I buy jars of pre-minced Garlic. It has changed my life!)

32 Ounces Chicken Broth

Half a Bunch of Kale (Or Swiss Chard) destemed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tb. Flour

Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Shredded Parmesan Cheese for Topping

Preparation:

1. Brown sausage in a saute pan. While the sausage was browning I chopped up my potatoes and onions.

By the Way I Heart this Frying Pan

2. With spatula separate sausage into bite sized chunks as you brown it.

3. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker.

That's right, 2 of these babies in there!

so much better than using a garlic press or mincing onions yourself

Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat.

I used about a cup of water

4. Cook on high 3-4 hours (low 5-6 hours) until potatoes are soft.

This Slow Cooker is My Favorite Cooking Appliance in the Fall/Winter

Now get out your ingredients for the Parmesan Rolls. Melt some butter in the microwave. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  I did 6 rolls. For this about a 1/4 a stick of butter was enough. Dip your roll into the butter and then roll it in the parmesan cheese (about 1/3 a cup) mixed with Garlic Salt. Place your buttered, cheesy roll on your parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat with the other rolls and then cover with saran wrap. Let rise.

30 minutes before serving:

5. Whisk flour into cream removing lumps.

6. Add cream and kale to the crock pot, stir.

Also my favorite whisk :)

7. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly.

8. Next, while your soup is thickening preheat your oven, take off the saran wrap,  and bake your rolls timing it so they will be done the same as your soup!

9. While your soup is thickening and the rolls are cooking get your bacon pieces ready!

10. Salt and Pepper the soup to taste and add cayenne pepper or crushed red peppers for more spice!

11. In individual bowls top your soup with shredded parmesan cheese and bacon pieces.

Enjoy!

It tasted sooooo good!

Nom Nom Nom

P.S. I actually made this soup last week and froze the leftovers. We had the leftovers last night and it was so yummy! A lot thicker like a thick potato soup with an Italian kick. You could thin it out a little with cream, milk, or a little broth, but we liked it thick. I just took it out of my freezer and thawed it in my microwave for about 5 minutes. Then I put it in my pot on the stove and cut the still frozen chunks up and stirred as it melted. It was delicious! We didn't have any bacon but it still tasted great.

Our leftovers. Yum!

Zuppa Toscana Soup 

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Ground Italian Sausage (Can be Spicy or Mild)

4-6 Russet Potatoes cut into bite sized cubes 

1 Onion, minced

1/4 Cup Real Bacon Pieces

2 Tb. Garlic, Minced

32 Ounces Chicken Broth

Half a Bunch of Kale (Or Swiss Chard) destemed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tb. Flour

Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper to Taste
Shredded Parmesan Cheese for topping

Preparation:

1. Brown sausage in a pan.

2. With spatula, separate sausage into bite sized chunks as you brown it.

3. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat.

4. Cook on high 3-4 hours (low 5-6 hours) until potatoes are soft.

30 minutes before serving:

5. Whisk flour into cream removing lumps.

6. Add cream and kale to the crock pot, stir.

7. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly.

8. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.

9. Sprinkle on bacon pieces and some shredded parmesan cheese

Mom's Parmesan Rolls

Ingredients:

Frozen Rhodes Rolls

Butter

Parmesan (the kind in the green can is fine)
Garlic Salt or Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Get rolls out a few hours before you plan on eating (according to rise time). Melt your butter in a bowl and pour some parmesan cheese and some garlic salt in another bowl. Mix the parmesan cheese and garlic salt together. Dip roll in butter, coating it completely, then roll in parmeasan/garlic salt mixture. Place buttered, cheesy roll on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Repeat with as many rolls as you desire. Cover with Saran Wrap and let rise according to the directions on the Rhode's Rolls Bag (usually 3-5 hours).

For 6 rolls I used 1/4 stick of butter, about 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese mixed with about a teaspoon of garlic salt. You can adjust measurements according to taste.

After rolls are risen bake according to the directions on your frozen rolls bag.

Eat up!

Thanks for reading!