A food blog

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, grated

4 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

2 T. bread crumbs

1 tsp. dried basil

1.5 tsp. dried parsley

2 egg whites

Combine all ingredients and shape into small (1/2") meatballs. I refrigerated mine for a few hours and it helped to set the shape so they didn't fall apart in the soup.

Shredded chicken:

Place 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a stockpot and cover well with water. Bring to a boil and boil until completely cooked. Shred chicken and set aside. Empty water from stockpot.

Soup:

2 T. butter

1 small onion, diced

1/2 c. sliced carrots (approximately 2 carrots)

1/2 c. sliced celery (approximately 2 stalks)

1 clove minced garlic

10 c. chicken broth (2 very large cans of brooth and 1 reg. sized can)

Salt & pepper to taste

3/4 c. acini di pepi or other small pasta

8 oz. fresh spinach

Melt butter in stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, and cook until veggies are tender, but not too soft.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drop in meatballs and cook about 7 minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in shredded chicken. Cover again and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. You can eat as soon as the chicken is re-heated, but allowing it to simmer for a little longer allows all the new flavors to meld together.

Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving.