Bachelor chow (Campbell's Soup and Rotini!)

[ohland]

I just finished up some bachelor chow. Campbell's has a number of condensed soups, and one of the recent ones (Tomato, Chipotle, and Olive Oil soup) brings back the memories of the (discontinued) Italian Tomato and Basil soup... (sob, sob, sniffle).

Make up a box (16oz) of Rotini. Any ruffled or curly pasta will do, but smooth noodles don't hold as much tomato love.

Drain and rinse pasta. Set aside.

Into the (now empty) pot, add one stick of BUTTER. Chop into smaller chunks so it melts faster. So you can get to eating faster...

Add a can of Tomato, Chipotle, and Olive Oil soup. Use spoon or spatula to get most of the good stuff out.

Fill soup can 1/2 full of milk or half n half. Stir in order to bring up most of the remaining soup. Add to butter in pot. Heat over low heat, stir occasionally. When butter and soup are mixed, add noodles. Stir until the noodles are covered. Nice thing about low heat is the sauce will stick to the noodles much better.

You can use crumbled hamburger if you want.

[gwpercle]

Wow, you eat pretty good. my bachelor days consisted of a bag of Doritos and a quart of Pearl beer. Unless we scored frozen pizza.

Gary

[rush1886]

Wow, you eat pretty good. my bachelor days consisted of a bag of Doritos and a quart of Pearl beer. Unless we scored frozen pizza.

Gary

Mine used to be 2-3 cans of Coors, Doritos only on an as available basis.

[bhn22]

Try keeping frozen pre-made meatballs in the freezer. The Italian style that Sams Club carries work perfectly. Start boiling your water for the pasta. them put a handful of still frozen meatballs in the bottom of a sauce pan. Cover with spaghetti sauce, and cook over medium heat. When the sauce boils, the meatballs are cooked too. This almost exactly coincides with the time it takes to cook and drain the pasta. Full-blown spaghetti & meatballs in under 20 minutes. Don't want pasta? make meatball sammiches instead.

[ohland]

Wow, you eat pretty good. my bachelor days consisted of a bag of Doritos and a quart of Pearl beer. Unless we scored frozen pizza. Gary

College was a lot of turkey franks, ragu sauce, and ramen noodles...

[Hardcast416taylor]

"A full stick of BUTTER", I can almost hear those arteries slamming shut away over here!Robert

[ohland]

"A full stick of BUTTER", I can almost hear those arteries slamming shut away over here!Robert

I always said that the foreign fighters would wonder why the bullets were bouncing off my chest... Was I the man of steel? No, actually it was hardening of the arteries...

[MaryB]

Skip the butter and fry off 3-4 strips of thick sliced bacon...

[rush1886]

BTW ohland, Progresso makes both a Hearty Tomato and a Tomato with Basil. I like using the Tomato with Basil in both Stuffed Peppers and Cabbage Rolls.

[ohland]

BTW ohland, Progresso makes both a Hearty Tomato and a Tomato with Basil.

But it isn't condensed. Using a condensed soup with half the liquid makes a thick sauce... yum...

Yes, I did get some Progresso, but it is not the same... unless I boiled it down...

[ohland]

Skip the butter and fry off 3-4 strips of thick sliced bacon...

While I positively love bacon and bacon grease in it's many forms, the theme is "Bachelor Chow", e.g. industrial baking. There is a box of bacon ends in the freezer for baked beans and that which makes everything better, bacon grease... Too much work to fry up a few slices. Though it would taste good.

Industrial Baking - Pies grandma would have made if she owned a factory...

[MaryB]

I have 2 pints of bacon fat in the fridge, one I add to one I use, swap when one gets empty and clean that jar then start to refill it while I use the other...

[ohland]

I have 2 pints of bacon fat in the fridge, one I add to one I use, swap when one gets empty and clean that jar then start to refill it while I use the other...

And it keeps.. as long as it is in the fridge.. forever...

[MaryB]

Yup and has many uses. Grabbed some tonight to lube the cast iron for cornbread

[The Dove]

College/bachelor days for me = breakfast (fried bologna/egg sandwich with a beer), lunch (usually skipped), supper (Jim Beam and usually Ramen noodles or Vienna sausages on saltines). Now once I got Commissioned and became a bachelor in the service, I upgrade from Jim to Jack Daniels!!! The food got better too as I could afford to go out and eat.

[country gent]

Another version of this I do ocasionally is make up egg noodles and heat a can of Chunky sirloin burger soup mix together over low heat. Makes a hearty quick meal.

[ohland]

egg noodles and heat a can of Chunky sirloin burger soup mix

Now this sounds interesting. Another old time favorite is pasta, cheddar cheese, and tuna.... Oh, yeah.

[WRideout]

Now this sounds interesting. Another old time favorite is pasta, cheddar cheese, and tuna.... Oh, yeah.

A prepared box of macaroni and cheese, with a drained can of tuna added is better than it sounds.

I also upgraded the box macaroni by adding some chopped carrots, celery, and hot peppers while boiling the noodles. Added real cheese is optional. A little cayenne can't hurt either.

Wayne