• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• water
• 2 carrots, divided
• 2 onions, divided
• 2 T dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• ¾ lb andouille sausage
• 28.5 oz tomato sauce
• chicken base
• ½ lb ground beef
• 1 T panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 4 oz fresh spinach
• creole seasoning
• 1 c small pasta (acini de pepe or ditalini)

Put chicken, 1 onion quartered, 1 coarsely cut carrot, parsley, and bay leaves into dutch oven. Cover with water. Cover and bring to simmer until chicken cooked through.

Remove chicken. Remove broth, and separate from veggies.

Brown the sausage. Add remaining onion and carrot, both finely chopped. Sauté until tender.

Add chicken broth/stock base to broth from chicken cooking step and put in dutch oven. Add tomato sauce and ½ additional can of water. Add creole seasoning and bring to simmer.

In bowl, combine bread crumbs, cajun seasoning, egg, and meat. Shape into small meatballs.

Drop meatballs into simmering broth. Cook for at least 10 minutes, but up to an hour.

Shred the chicken. Add chicken, pasta, and spinach to soup and simmer for 15 minutes.

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

The Well Seasoned Mom