Family Buffet King - Bloomfield, NJ

We were in the mood for some Chinese food a couple of weeks ago and decided that we should go for a buffet. Instead of going to our usual Chinese buffet place in Clifton, we decided to try some place new. Who knows, we might find one even better than the one in Clifton. So, I went online to read up reviews about some of the buffet places near our apartment. There were quite a few, but one particular place kind of stood out. According to the reviews, it's really good and affordable. Sounds good to me!
So, we headed out to Bloomfield (just one neighborhood away from us) to check out Family Buffet King. When we initially saw it's address, we were pretty worried about parking. It's on Bloomfield Avenue and since that's the main street of Bloomfield, parking can be a problem sometimes. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a parking lot (with free parking!) situated just next to it. Yay! When we walked in, we noticed that it was almost full but there wasn't a single Chinese in that Chinese buffet (not counting the owner and servers :P). To me, that's a big oh oh! An authentic Chinese buffet would be filled with Chinese families on a Saturday night.
The servers as well as the owners were really friendly though. They really made we feel very welcomed. While walking in, I noticed that the grill section was out of order. That kinda sucks, cos we were really looking forward to some grilled steaks. I don't know if it was just for that night or if it has been out since forever. Ahhh well, maybe the rest of the food would make up for it. I made the appetizer section my first stop in the buffet line. I was rather disappointed. The selection wasn't really that great. A few different salads, some mussels and rather tiny shrimp. There are a few small trays of sushi rolls, nothing really impressive at all. There were also three different types of soups to choose from and I tried the Hot & Sour soup. A little too starchy but not too bad I guess. Kevin wanted to try the Wonton soup but he soon realized that there were no wontons left in it! So, he didn't take any :(
Disappointing appetizers...what about the main dishes? Well, if you are looking for authentic Chinese food, then you are in the wrong place. However, they have a rather good selection of American Chinese food as well as some American food. You can pretty much find the entire menu of a typical Chinese take out restaurant there. Not too bad if you like American Chinese food. Of course, I was hoping for more authentic stuff, so I wasn't really impressed.
Time for dessert! Now, here is the funny thing. The layout of the dessert section was really weird. The desserts are not grouped together in a special section. You have to walk the entire buffet line to pick out your desserts from various sections. Also, we couldn't find any ice cream in that buffet. That's rather surprising, since ice cream is pretty much a staple in Chinese buffets. The dessert choices were not really huge but I did enjoy the apple strudel though. I guess that was the highlight of my whole evening.
Our total bill came to $26.94. Not too bad at all. Their weekend dinner buffet is $11.59 per person and their regular lunch buffet is even cheaper. I believe it's only $8 or so. That's really affordable for a buffet. However, the food selection was rather disappointing for me. So, if you are looking for a cheap American Chinese style buffet to go to, then this is the place for you. However, if you want to go for a buffet that serves more authentic and higher quality Asian food, then I would give this place a miss.

Family Buffet King - Bloomfield, NJ
619 Bloomfield Avenue,
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Tel: (973)743 2666/6268

Tropicana Diner - Elizabeth, NJ

I've been meaning to blog about this place for quite some time but I never got around to it. Kevin and I were in Jersey Garden Mall (yes, AGAIN!) last month and as usual, we were shopping until dinnertime. We didn't want to eat in the mall so we decided to drive around Elizabeth to see what there is to eat. Kevin remembered going to this diner with his colleagues for lunch once and it pretty good. So, he suggested that we go have dinner there.
When we walked in, Kevin said it looked somewhat different. I later found out that it was recently renovated and under a new management. The decor was pretty errrmmm different, compared to all the other diners that we have been to. There we fake palm trees and tropical themed murals throughout the whole restaurant. I guess that's why it's called Tropicana? :P
After sitting us down and taking our orders, our server brought out two tiny slices of cheese pizza. Instead of serving us rolls, I guess they want to be different? I don't know. I find it a tad bit weird. The pizza was rather greasy and not really that great tasting. Maybe they made too many cheese pizzas during lunch and they were trying to get rid of it? Who knowsss...
Our meals came with a choice of either salad or soup. We both went with the Cream of Turkey soup. It was pretty good actually. Really creamy and good. There were also big chunks of turkey in it. I enjoyed it and I think Kevin did too.
For Kevin's main, he ordered the Virginia Ham Steak ($12.95). He chosen mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli as his side. The ham steak was really huge and it also came with three slices of grilled pineapple. Kevin said that it tasted alright, not too bad at all.
I got the Chopped Sirloin Steak ($11.95) with grilled sweet potato and steamed broccoli. When my meal arrived, it didn't have any sort of gravy on it. I remembered that it's supposed to come with mushroom sauce. Nevertheless, I took a small bite of the chopped steak and it tasted horrible! The meat was totally tasteless! I have never tasted anything so bland before. So, asked the server for some sauce (which should have been served in the first place). Instead of bringing me the mushroom sauce, he just brought me a bottle of A1 steak sauce!! For real??? I couldn't eat another bite, cos it was just too horrible. So, I just packed it up and planned to make my own gravy when I got home.
Since my main totally sucked, we decided to share a slice of cake for dessert. They have quite a large selection of desserts and we went with the Carrot Cake ($4.65). Now, this is really good. A slice of really moist carrot cake, with some caramel drizzled over it. Very very good.
The owner/manager was at the register when we were paying our bill. I mentioned to him that there wasn't any sauce with my chopped steak when it was served. He looked at me like he didn't know what I was talking about. I had to actually open up my take away box to SHOW him. He then went on to say, oh we don't usually put sauce on our chopped steak. By then, I was already a little bit upset with him. I said if you don't usually put sauce on it, why mention it in the menu? It clearly states that the chopped steak is served with mushroom sauce. Instead of admitting that they made a mistake, he went on to say "oh you will be surprised how many people don't like that with their chopped steak". It seems they only put it on if you ask them to. I said well, I did ask the server for some sauce but all I got was A1 steak sauce! He then just shaked his head and said no no, we don't usually serve sauce with chopped steak unless you ask. Man, are you dumb? I just said that I asked for sauce but wasn't given any. He then proceed to 'explain' to me that many people don't even know what chopped steak is and blablabla. I told him I know what chopped steak is and I know that it's supposed to come with sauce. I then mumbled under my breathe to Kevin that I will definitely blog about this on my blog and guess what? Mr No-We-Don't-Serve-That suddenly became Mr Nice Guy. He suddenly smiled, apologized and even offered to get me some mushroom sauce, so that I can take it home to eat with my chopped steak. I guess he only cares when the reputation of his diner is at stake. Too bad, damage has been done. There are many other good diners out here in Jersey, so I don't think we will return to Tropicana anytime soon (not even for their carrot cake, which by the way was very very good!).

Tropicana Diner - Elizabeth,NJ
537-545 Morris Ave,
Elizabeth, NJ 07208
Tel: (908)351 7775
Web: www.tropicanadiner.com

IHOP Restaurant - Elizabeth, NJ

We were in Jersey Garden Mall a couple of weeks ago and as usual, we would lose track of time whenever we are there :P Before we knew it, it was already close to dinner time (looks like we totally skipped lunch!). Since there isn't many food outlets (and their food court is ALWAYS packed) in the mall, we decided to drive out to see what is available around the area.
There used to be a diner just opposite the mall but we vowed never to go back there. It was a horrible diner, with bad service and equally bad food. When we passed the diner (or what USED to be the diner), we were pleasantly surprised that the diner was no longer there. An brand new looking IHOP was in it's place. Woohoo!! Looks like that horrid diner went out of business or something. Who knows. Anyways, we totally love IHOP, so we decided to go check this new outlet out.
After we settled down, we saw that they were having a special, just for the month of October. When you order one of their combos (prices start from $4.99), you get unlimited buttermilk pancakes to go with it! Yup, all you can eat pancakes! We decided to give that a pass though, cos seriously, how many pancakes can you eat? I know that the max I can eat is probably two :P Also, they are giving away a 'SCARY FACE' pancake to all kids under 12 on Oct 29th. So, if you have kids below 12, remember to head out to any IHOP on Oct 29th for your free pancake!
The servers were really friendly and attentive. They all look so happy and stuff...lol! I guess it's a new outlet, so everybody is excited. Our server took our order and came out with our drinks also immediately. Really fast. Kevin had a soda ($2.19) and I had my usual unsweetened iced tea ($2.19). Our server was really good in making sure that our glasses were always filled too. Two thumbs up for the awesome service.
Kevin ordered the Ham & Egg Melt ($6.99). Ham, scrambled eggs, American and Swiss cheese, stuffed between two slices of grilled sourdough bread. It comes with your choice of either seasoned fries, onion rings, fresh fruit, soup or salad and a dill pickle. Kevin went with the seasoned fries. He said that the melt was really good. I believe him, cos he polished off everything on his plate!
I had the Pot Roast Melt ($7.99). Slow cooked pot roast, caramelized onions, melted Swiss and American cheese topped with rich beef and mushroom gravy, in between two slices of grilled sourdough bread. Mmmm mmmm mmmmm, it was really really good.
I chose the soup of the day as my side. I had a choice between cream of broccoli and potato soup or minestrone soup. I went with minestrone. Good choice I must say. It was really thick and hearty, very very yummy. Just add in some crackers and I can have that as my meal!
Since we were in IHOP, we HAD to order dessert :P It was a toss up between pancakes, stuffed french toast, waffles or crepe and we went with crepe in the end. I'm glad we did cos it was delicious! We shared the Nutella Crepe ($6.99) and really, it was awesome! Three egg batter crepes filled with Nutella and fresh slices bananas, topped with strawberries, powdered sugar and some whipped cream on the side. We can feel ourselves getting fatter and fatter as we dig in but hey, everybody is allowed to indulge, once in a while :P Overall, we had a great dinner in IHOP, with some really yummy food, affordable prices and excellent service. I'm glad that we found this new outlet and you can bet on us returning in the very near future!

IHOP Restaurant - Elizabeth, NJ
650-672 Kapowski Road
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
Tel: (908)353 7600
Web: http://www.ihop.com/

Papaya Dog - Midtown West, NYC

Remember me blogging about bringing our friend Wendy to the Lindy's opposite Madison Square Garden for some NY cheesecake? After filling our tummies with those delicious cakes, we took her up to the Empire State Building Observation Deck for a bird's eye of view of Manhattan. I will blog about that later on (in our soon to be launched travel blog ;P). We spent quite a long time at the Empire State Building (lining up to get tickets, going through security...etc) and after we were done, it was time for another snack! So far, we have tried NY bagels, NY cheesecake....what's next? New York style hot dogs of course!
We initially wanted to take her to Papaya King (the original founder of NY style hot dogs) but the original branch is located all the way uptown and it's currently undergoing some renovations. Since Papaya Dog is located nearby the Empire State Building, we just decided to take her there. Here's a little bit of hot dog history. Papaya King is the original and in 1973, one of the employees of Papaya King came out and started his own hot dog company (Gray's Papaya). That was the start of the so called hot dog turf war. From Gray's Papaya, other similar hot dog companies emerged. Papaya Dog was one of them. Despite being relatively 'new' in the hot dog business, I can tell you that Papaya Dog is not lacking in the taste department. In fact, many people have commented that their dogs somewhat taste better than Papaya Kings!
Check out their menu. It consist basically of hot dogs, burgers, fries, nachos, knishes and chicken strips. Apart from food, they also offer the ever popular tropical fruit juices, sodas and water too. Just my kind of menu. Simple and delicious food that doesn't burn a hole in your pocket!
Mmm mmm mmmmm, those dogs look so yummy. The standard NY style hot dog uses Sabrett's natural casing all-beef frankfurter. Of course, they also have turkey dogs for those who do not like beef. You can also see their yummy plump corn dog to the left and toppings for the hot dog on the right.
After ordering our hot dogs, we headed over to Greeley Square Park to enjoy our food. Papaya Dog doesn't have any tables or chairs for dine in customers. Most people get their dogs to go. However, if you really want to sit down somewhere to enjoy your meal, table seating is available at Little Italy Pizza (a few doors away) for Papaya Dog customers. Since it was such a nice day, we preferred to eat our dogs out in the park instead of indoors at the pizza shop.
Wendy doesn't eat beef, so she ordered the Turkey Dog ($1.50). A NY style hot dog consist of a grilled frank served on a lightly toasted bun with sauerkraut, brown mustard and the ever popular red onion sauce that is unique to NYC dogs. I believe Wendy had her dog with everything on it.
Kevin and I shared the 2 Hot Dog Special ($3.99). We got two original beef frank hot dogs and a 16 oz Diet Coke. We didn't want any sauerkraut or brown mustard on ours, just the yummy red onion sauce! Mmm mmmm gooood! I am not exactly sure what is the secret recipe for the red onion sauce but I have been told that it's basically a concoction of onions, tomato paste, vinegar and some other secret ingredients. Whatever it is, they got it right. In my opinion, the red onion sauce is what makes the NY style hot dog the best hot dog in the whole country. So, the next time you are in the city, go pick up a hot dog or two. Ask for extra red onion sauce and trust me, that will definitely make your day! :D

Papaya Dog - Midtown West, NYC
33rd and 5th
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 627-9748

Johnny Rockets - Jersey Garden Mall, NJ

We were out shopping in Jersey Garden Mall on Monday evening and before we knew it, it was already close to 8pm. We decided that we should get some dinner before heading back home. When it comes to food outlets, there isn't really much to choose from in Jersey Garden Mall. There is the food court, Chili's Too, Sbarros, Jeepers, Johnny Rockets and the brand new IHOP, located across the street. Since there wasn't a line in Johnny Rockets (there is ALWAYS a long line in Johnny Rockets), we figured we should just eat there.

Johnny Rockets is an international chain that oozes that feel good Americana charm. Stepping into a Johnny Rockets makes you feel like you are stepping into an all American diner back in the 50's, with checkered floors and table top jukeboxes. Even the uniform of the servers brings you back to the time when milkshakes cost only 5 cents!

Since it wasn't full that day, we had a choice to either sit up front by the counter or in one of the booths. We chose the booths (yes, we are anti social people :P). The servers were really friendly and even offered to take our photo for us! Check out the cool looking table top jukebox and classic diner style straw dispenser.

The menu is exactly what you would expect from a place like this. All kinds of juicy burgers, classic sandwiches and melts to hand dipped milkshakes, malts and floats. Mmm mmm mmmmmm, this is American food at it's best. Our server took our drinks order while we were looking at the menu. I ordered the Root Beer Float ($2.99) and Kevin got the Original Strawberry Milkshake ($4.29). When our drinks arrived, we knew that it was the start of a very good meal. Both the drinks were just super yummy! I can't really explain it, but my Root Beer was made just right. With the correct amount of froth and stuff. Sooo good! Kevin's milkshake was really thick and gyummy too. You see the silver shaker thing by the side of the milkshake? It was half filled with the leftover strawberry milkshake, which you could top up after you are done with the one in your glass. I think there is enough milkshake for two people! Really worth the money.

Kevin ordered the Smoke House Double Burger ($8.99). Two juicy patties with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, onion rings and Johnny Rockets Smoke House BBQ Ranch sauce. Doesn't it look good? Kevin said that it was really juicy and yummy. It's pretty big too (so big til he couldn't even finish the burger). Good choice Kevin!

I got the Route 66 Burger ($7.49). This is what I would order everytime I go to a Johnny Rockets. It's really good! Two patties with melted Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms, onions and mayo...all packed into a yummy bun. Mmmm mmmm good!

Both of our burgers come with fries, However, when our server first brought out our burger, he told us that our fries should be coming out shortly. Half way through our burger, he came over again and apologized, saying that he had already reminded the the kitchen and it should be out soon. We weren't actually complaining, since the burgers were so good, we were too busy eating to even worry about our fries. We could see our server getting more and more flustered as he kept on reminding the kitchen about our fries...hahaha! Anyways, to cut the long story short, he came back and said that he felt really bad to keep us waiting and he told his manager about this. His manager agreed to give us a 20% discount on our meal, cos we had to wait for our fries! Wow! We were not even bothered that our fries did not come out together with our burger, but I guess it bothered our server enough to go ask for a discount, on behalf of us. So yeah, we got a 20% discount off our meal! :D Overall, I would say that Johnny Rockets totally rocked! Cool decor, yummy food and awesome staff!! Two thumbs up!

Johnny Rockets - Jersey Garden Mall
651 Kapkowski Road
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
Tel: (908)994 0110
Web: http://www.johnnyrockets.com

The Frying Pan Bar & Grill - Chelsea, NYC

When Chai Yuet and her friend Kheng Leng visited NYC over the Memorial Day weekend, we knew that we had to bring them to go check out and have dinner at one of our favorite bars in the city. Located on Pier 66 (just 3 blocks north of Chelsea Piers), The Frying Pan is definitely the place to be if you want to catch the sunset over the Hudson, while kicking back with a Corona or Sangria in hand.What's so cool about The Frying Pan anyways? Well, apart from the awesome views and sunsets, there is quite a history behind this lightship. Built in 1929, The Frying Pan is a historic lightship that was salvaged after spending 3 years at the bottom of Chesapeake Bay. It was then brought to Chelsea Piers and it has become a bar ever since. The Frying Pan is docked to Pier 66 (which is actually an old railroad barge) and it's neighbor, the the John J. Harvey fireboat is docked beside it. There is also a caboose right in the middle of Pier 66.

The Frying Pan is open everyday starting from May up til October (or when it starts to get cold). They start serving drinks at noon and they stay open all the way til midnight. The best time to go would be just before sunset but be warned, it gets really packed during the weekends. So, you might want to get there early if you want a table and/or seat. Oh, and they do card after 6pm or so. Yeah, that's right. You must be above 21 to enter.

Ahhh, there you go. This is the Frying Pan. As you can see, you are allowed to go on board and just chill anywhere. The engine room is also open for you to check out. Also, when the sun goes down, the Frying Pan starts to heat up. There is a dance floor inside this lightship!

Look at the amount of people there that day. I believe it was so packed because it was the Memorial Day weekend as well as Fleet Week in NYC. The whole of Pier 66 was just packed with people (both on the bottom and top floors!). It can get pretty wild with all the 'frat boy partying' at times, especially on weekends and holidays. Oh, check out the background of this pic. You can also see part the John J. Harvey fireboat in the background. Occasionally, there will be a water salute coming from the fireboat.

We were really lucky to get to seat down, let alone a table to ourselves that day. Can you see the stage behidn us? It was so packed until they had to set up tables on the stage! There would be live bands performing on stage during lunchtime as well as later on in the day.

So, hows the food and drinks there? Well, the food served there is your typical bar food but I would say that the taste is above bar food standards. Everything is self serve at the Frying Pan. What you would do is go up to the bar to order your food, pay and you would be given a ticket with a number. Then you just have to wait until your number is called, then you can go pick up your food and drinks. They accept both cash and credit cards but on the day that we were there, their credit card machine was down. So, we had to pay cash. For those of you who do not like to carry around much cash, there is also an ATM machine in the bar itself.

I ordered the Lemon Herb Chicken Breast Wrap ($9.23). The chicken was very nicely marinated and juicy. It came with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, tzatziki, some greens, all wrapped up in a grilled flatbread. It also came with a nice side salad. A really refreshing dish on a hot summers day. Kevin and Kheng Leng got the Grilled 8oz Sirloin Burger ($9.22). Kevin said that it was really good. Heck, even I can see that it was good, with yummy juices flowing out each time he took a bite :P The burgers was served on a sesame seed brioche roll with cheese, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and pickles. You can add on bacon, avocado or mushrooms for an additional $1.84 each. The two best sellers at The Frying Pan when it comes to drinks is their White Sangria ($35 per pitcher....I think) and their Corona buckets ($35 per bucket). The sangria was really refreshing, all loaded up with fruits. Definitely my choice of beverage on a super hot summers day. The Corona bucket is a really good deal too. 5 bottles of Corona for $35. It also comes with a small cup of lime wedges. Kheng Leng also bought all of us a pitcher of Long Island Iced Tea (I do not know the price) to share. However, Kevin said that it tasted a little bit watered down. I think I kinda agree with him. We polished off the whole pitcher and we didn't even get a buzz. Definitely watered down.

Ahhh, this is the reason why most people come to The Frying Pan. Check out the view. You can get a superb view of the Manhattan skyline from almost any part of the bar. Also, it's pretty near the ever so busy West 30th St Heliport. So, you can check out all the different types of helicopters that are heading towards or leaving the heliport.

Now, this is what everybody is waiting for. The highlight of the evening. It was such an amazing feeling to just sit back, relax and watch the sun set over the Hudson River. The gentle breeze, the slight swaying of the boats, an icy cold Corona in hand...if not for the New Jersey skyline, you would sometimes even forget that you are smacked right in the middle of Manhattan.

We had a great time hanging out with Chai Yuet and Kheng Leng at The Frying Pan. So, the next time you are visiting Manhattan or if you are looking to get away from the crazy city life for a couple of hours, head over to The Frying Pan and get yourself a bucket of Corona. Hey, you might even see us there! :P

The Frying Pan Bar & Grill
Pier 66 Maritime,
W.26th Street and Hudson River Park,
New York, NY 10001
Tel: (212) 989-6363
Web: http://www.fryingpan.com/

Century Buffet Bar & Grill - Clifton, NJ

Let's take a break from the Langkawi travelogue for a bit and see what we have been up to recently back here in NJ. We were out shopping in Clifton last weekend and before we knew it, our tummies were rumbling and it was already time for lunch. For those of you who are familiar with the Clifton Commons area, you would know that they are many restaurants and eateries to choose from. So, we decided to get in the car and drive around to see what there is to eat.

We drove by Century Buffet and saw quite a number of cars in their parking lot. We have driven past Century Buffet quite a number of times before and we always wondered, what kind of buffet it was. There wasn't any sign outside indicating if it was a Chinese buffet, Pizza buffet, Seafood buffet...etc. So, we decided that today was the day that we would go check it out.

From the moment that we walked into the restaurant, we knew that it was a Chinese buffet. It had all the typical 'decorations' and 'furnishings' of a Chinese buffet. There was a big board at the entrance with all the prices too. The prices looked pretty reasonable. A regular weekday buffet lunch is $6.95 per adult and dinner is $11.95. On weekends, they have a special buffet brunch which cost $11.95 and dinner is $13.95. There is also a 10% discount for all senior citizens and kids under 2 ft eat for free!

We ordered our soda ($1.50 each with free refills) at the counter and they brought us to our table. On the way to our table, I took a quick glace at the buffet and it looked larger than the usual Chinese buffets that we are used too. Good! :D We started by trying out some of their soups, I had the Hot & Sour Soup and Kevin had the Wonton Soup. I believe there were 6 or 7 different types of soups to choose from.

Next, we headed to get our appetizers! There were all kinds of salads (crab salad, pasta, salad, potato salad, garden salad...ect) to choose from but we went straight for the seafood :P Fresh oysters, mussels, scallops, broiled crawfish, jumbo shrimp, two types of crabs, a few types of sashimi, freshly made sushi rolls...there were so many stuff to choose from, I just couldn't remember everything! Very very good selection for the price we paid.

After the appetizers (we were already pretty filled up then :P), we headed to check out the hot food section. It is basically split into three sections. There is the 'American' food section - pizzas, chicken wings, roast chicken/turkey, nuggets, pasta...you know, the whole works, the 'American Chinese' food section - BBQ pork ribs, sweet sour chicken, teriyaki chicken on a stick, pretty much the stuff you would get from a typical Chinese take out restaurant and lastly, the 'Authentic Chinese' food section. There was a dim sum section as well as a host of super yummy Chinese dishes like Steamed Fish, Vegetables with Mushrooms, Stir Fried Lobster Tails, Peking Duck, Stir Fried Venison and the list goes on! The picture is the selection we got from the American Chinese food section. I didn't take anymore photos after that, we too busy eating :D

By the time we were ready for dessert, we were already too full to take too many things. Apart from the stuff in the photo, they also had quite a big selection of cakes, donuts, sago, different types of pudding and ice cream (both soft serve and regular). Overall, we had a awesome lunch and I think that the food served here is tasty and fresh. The price is also reasonable and if you were to head over to their website, you can print out some coupons too. Definitely worth a return visit!

Century Buffet Bar & Grill - Clifton, NJ
166 Main Avenue,
Clifton, NJ 07104
Tel: (973) 471 8018/8718
Fax: (973) 471 8665
Web: http://www.centurybuffet.net/

Crazy Eight Can Soup

It's been raining on and off for the past few weeks and it's been getting pretty chilly these days. It's just the perfect weather for staying home in our flannel pj's with a big bowl of hearty soup and a few slices of bread. I was searching for a good, easy and inexpensive hearty soup recipe when I saw one for the Crazy Eight Can Soup from Heather's blog. It looked yummy and pretty easy to make, so I figured I'll try making a batch. I've changed the recipe up a little (added in a few things) but it's pretty much the same as the original recipe.
Here's all the ingredients that you would need to make this hearty soup. Three cans of Progresso's Homestyle Minestrone Soup (the original recipe called for Campbell's but Heather is right, Progresso is better), one can of Rotel's Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, one can of Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, one can of Whole Kernel Corn, one can of Sylvia's Seasoned Kidney Beans and one can of Seasoned Southern Style Black Eye Peas (the original recipe used two cans of Ranch Style Beans instead of Seasoned Kidney Beans and Southern Style Black Eye Peas). You would also need one lbs of ground beef, some hot Italian sausages and some elbow macaroni.

Start off by browning one lbs of ground beef and about 2 to 3 pieces of hot Italian sausages (that has been cut in smaller pieces) in a pan.

Once that's done, drain and place the beef and sausages into a large pot.

Now it's time to pour in the contents of the eight cans. Begin with the 3 cans of minestrone soup.

Next goes in the fire roasted tomatoes.

After that, pour in the diced tomatoes and green chilies. Remember, do not drain anything. Just pour everything into the pot.

In goes the seasoned kidney beans...

...followed by the southern style black eye peas.

Lastly, pour in the can of whole kernel corn.

Mix all the ingredients together well. Then, add in a few fistfuls of elbow macaroni and give it another good stir. Allow the soup to simmer for about an hour or so, then it's done!

Here it is! A big pot of hearty soup!! Doesn't it look yummy? It was such a big pot that after freezing some, we still had enough to eat for the next four days! It tasted great, so rich and hearty, with a lil spicy kick. Guess what? It tasted even better after reheating it the next day. We served the soup with some Cuban bread that we bought from our local bakery..mmm mmm mmmm! It's so yummy to eat, so easy to make and really inexpensive, this recipe is definitely a keeper!