Quick and Easy Bacon & Rice Tomato Soup

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Weave Made Media® and Smithfield, but all my opinions are my own. #weavemade #SmithfieldAllNatural http://my-disclosur.es/RgFrEH

Oh how I long for the lazy days of summer again.  Even though we aren’t in the stage of a ‘traditional’ school year any more, it seems that our schedule and activities still follows one.  I really thought that with sending our daughter to college and being empty nesters that we’d have more down time and relaxed meals.  But between blog events, church activities and social gatherings, it seems that two or three nights a week minimum, I need to get a quick meal on the table before we head out the door.  I don’t want it to seem like I slapped the meal together though, I still want it to be warm and comforting as if I had spent all day preparing it.  That’s why I love making this Bacon & Rice Tomato Soup, from start to finish it can be made in as little as 15 minutes.  Even if you don’t want to use my short cuts it still can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

I’ve been making this recipe that I got from a rice company for a while now, but changed up the spicing in it a little bit and started adding bacon to it.  Because yes, bacon REALLY does make everything taste better.  Smithfield All Natural Uncured Bacon is so, so tasty.

We love bacon in our house and lazy Sunday mornings is the best time to make it.  I pop it in the oven for a no hassle, less mess preparation.

400 degrees (no preheating) for 17 – 20 minutes, and the result is perfectly crisp delicious bacon.  If you try this at home start checking at 10 minutes for doneness, every oven heats differently and you wouldn’t want burnt bacon!

It was difficult not to eat the strips I had set aside for our soup dinner later in the week!  We ate through the rest of the package at brunch with no trouble at all 😉

I’m so lucky to have a Tom Thumb grocery store right around the corner from our home, it makes it easy to pick up quality items like the Smithfield All Natural Uncured Bacon.  I also like saving money with their Just4U program.  Before I head out to shop I check their online portal for coupons.  Right now there is a $1 off Smithfield All Natural Pork Products Coupon available to load to your rewards card (While Supplies Last).  If you aren’t a member yet and you have a Tom Thumb, Safeway or other Safeway affiliate store near you, it’s easy to register for Just4U and download the coupon to save on Smithfield All Natural Pork varieties.

So before I get to the recipe, here are my short cuts to making it in 15 minutes on a busy night.

• Make the bacon a day or two ahead of time (like on a weekend for breakfast!) and then set aside one strip for each serving (the recipe serves 4).  You can chop it up when it’s cooled and then just pull it out of the fridge when you’re making the soup.  Microwave it for just a few seconds to take the chill off of it if it’s not at room temperature when you’re ready to garnish the soup.

• Use frozen rice and microwave it.  You can find a number of brands that offer steam in the bag rice in the frozen food section.  The rice is perfectly cooked in just 4 minutes.

• “Mike” is my friend – that’s right to save time I make the ‘soup’ portion in the microwave as well.

Of course you can make the rice and bacon the same day you make the soup, and you can make the soup on the stove top as well.  It isn’t quite as quick that way, but just as easy!

Serves 4
With the short cuts in the recipe as written you can have this soup on the table in 15 minutes.  The brown rice offers whole grains and the bacon flavor adds a punch.

Ingredients

• 24 oz of spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp of Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning (1/2 tsp each of basil and garlic can be used if you can’t find this combination)
• 1 10oz bag of frozen whole grain brown rice
• 4 slices of cooked Smithfield All Natural Uncured Bacon, chopped

Instructions

1. Cook rice in microwave according to package instructions.
2. While rice is cooking, in a microwave safe bowl combine spaghetti sauce, whipping cream and seasoning.  Stir together.
3. When rice is finished cooking remove from microwave and set package aside.  Microwave the soup for 7 1/2 minutes stirring after each 2 1/2 minutes so it heats evenly.
4. Add rice to the soup and stir.
4. Ladle into bowls and garnish each bowl with 1 slice of the chopped, cooked bacon.

It doesn’t get much faster or easier than that, does it?!  If you are busy with football practice, dance lessons, PTA meetings, midweek activities at church and then some during your week, this is a great meal to serve that will warm up and satisfy their bellies on a chilly autumn or cold winter day.

If you’re looking for more ways to change up your family’s meals with all natural pork, check out Smithfield’s Facebook page and website, you’ll find plenty of ideas there!