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As a busy mother, business owner, and ADHD sufferer, I struggle to get dinner on the table every night. Something always demands way more time than I have to give. This leaves me grasping at straws when my crew asks that dreadful question, “What’s for dinner?”
Seriously, no question spikes my anxiety like “What’s for dinner.” The asker apparently assumes that I have all of the answers and have properly planned ahead. As someone who prides myself in being “on top of things”, it pains me to respond with “I don’t know”.
The Meal Swap
Over the years I have tried a million easy weeknight meal hacks. Perhaps one of my favorites was a monthly meal swap organized by a sweet mom friend. Twelve ladies committed to the meal swap group, which meant we had twelve pre-made meals in the freezer each month. It was wonderful!
Each participant purchased twelve of these hard-to-find but absolutely amazing Gladware Ovenware dishes. Monthly we made twelve of one recipe and filled each dish. We would then attach the re-heating instructions, show up and swap.
It sounds like a lot, but it was so easy! For some strange reason, cooking in bulk like that was not near as bad as it sounds. And, as an added bonus, our family received and ate many amazing meals. We still make many of the dishes from meal swap to this day. And one of our absolute favorites is this incredible Pizza Parlor Soup.
Pizza Parlor Soup is one of our family’s hearty fall and winter favorites. I make it not only for weeknight dinners but also for the setting crew at work. They love it after a long, cold day of installations.
To be fair, this recipe was originally a Rachel Rae recipe called Italian Sub Stoup. While I enjoy a lot of her recipes, they are often complicated by unnecessary chopping and cooking. In the spirit of eliminating extra stovetop time, I have simplified the original recipe and made it my own. My version is both crock pot and make-ahead friendly—perfect for busy people who like to eat!
Make Ahead
Making this recipe ahead of time is easy. I simply toss all of the ingredients- except for the noodles and broth- into a gallon-size freezer bag. That’s it!
People always ask me where I got my freezer bag stands. Once upon a time, when the kids were little, I made them hold the bags open for me. But now that they are teens and not spending much time at home, these little bag stands are handier.
They are sturdy enough to hold a gallon-sized bag full of hearty chili yet thin and easy to store. I love them and highly recommend adding them to your kitchen collection!
When all but the broth is in the bag, I seal it up and toss it in the freezer. (Note: You can add the broth to the bag if you like. It won’t hurt anything…I just don’t.)
When I am ready to cook, I pull it out of the freezer and smash it with my fingers. This breaks up the chunks that have frozen together and makes it easier to dump into the crock pot.
I add the broth, cook on low for 8 hours, and then add the uncooked noodles. Thirty minutes and no stovetop time later, dinner is served. It’s that easy!
Substitutions
Sometimes I don’t have all of the ingredients on hand. No big deal! Here are some substitutions I have used in the past.
Pasta
The pasta gives this soup the “crust” flavor. However, you can omit it if you prefer. I use ditalini because it is a commonly found, short cut pasta. However, you can use any pasta you have on hand.
Toppings
Everyone has different pizza toppings they love. Try making this soup with all of the meats and veggies I use or with only some. You can add mushrooms, top with olives, or even toss in some anchovies.
If you don’t have mozzarella cheese, top with grated or shredded parmesan instead. Just use whatever you have and enjoy trying different flavor profiles.
Croutons
When I know I am pressed for time or am serving a crowd, I top with croutons. If I have time to pop garlic bread in the oven, I will offer that as a side instead. If it has been a wild week and I don’t have either, we will eat it without. Basically I just wing it!
Shopping List
Want to see the exact products I use? Click here to checkout my Walmart shopping list for Pizza Parlor Soup.
Pizza Parlor Soup
Ingredients
- 2 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 lb Italian Sausage, Browned
- 1/4 Cup Quartered Pepperoni Slices
- 8 oz Cooked Ham, Diced
- 2 oz Crumbled Bacon
- 10 oz Bag of Frozen, Chopped Green Pepper
- 10 oz Bag of Frozen, Diced Onion
- 1 15 oz Can Diced Tomatoes (Italian style if you have them on hand)
- 3 Cloves Garlic (or 3 tsp minced garlic)
- 6 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- Garlic Croutons
- 1 box ditalini pasta (uncooked)
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and add 1 lb Italian sausage. Brown until done and do not drain the grease. (I know…but trust me here!)
- Add browned sausage, 8 oz diced ham, 2 oz bacon pieces, and 1/4 Cup pepperoni slices (quartered) to a lined crock pot.
- Add onion, green pepper, diced tomatoes, garlic, and oregano to the meats
- Pour in chicken broth until mixture is entirely covered (add more if you like your soup to be “soupier”)
- Cook on low for 8 hours
- About 30 minutes prior to serving, add uncooked ditalini and allow to cook
- Dish into bowls and top with mozzarella cheese and garlic croutons for serving
There you have it- one of our busy weeknight favorites! I hope it quickly becomes one of your family’s favorites too!
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