As I was looking over my list of winning recipes, I was struck by a couple of things.
I used a lot of prepackaged and processed foods for these contests. Basically because these prepackaged and processed food companies were sponsors. 
Here’s a list of a few winners that were sponsored by food companies.
Texas Touchdown BBQ Pizza
I won a year’s supply of Boboli pizza crusts for this one.
Early Morning Chai French Toast
I won a boxful of Oregon Chai. I LOVE Chai!
Crunchy Amaretto Peach Cobbler
I won two whole cans of pie filling.
Surprise Morning Muffins
I won a great gift basket (and as I recall, I almost won a trip to NYC. Wasn’t a finalist though. 
)
Another great moment was winning two (2) Martha Stewart Cooking School Cookbooks in the Hunt’s Best Meals, Best Moments contest in 2009. The website has since expired but I will list one of the winners here today for you. Besides, it is good soup weather.
Country French Soup
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. shredded carrot
2 c. chicken stock
1 c. water
1 c. red wine
1 quart home canned tomatoes or 2 (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 (14 oz.) cans white navy beans
1 medium potato, chopped (I used a red potato—skin on.)
1 bay leaf
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. . balsamic vinegar
1 lb. lean ground sausage (I actually used some Italian sausage this time—delicious!)
½ c. cream
1 T. fresh basil, chopped*In a large stock pot, sauté onion and celery for 5 minutes. Add garlic and carrots and sauté another 2 minutes. Add next nine ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. While soup is simmering, brown sausage. After 20 minutes, add sausage and cream. Stir and bring back to a simmer. Stir in chopped basil right before serving.
*The basil bit the dust in the hoop house with the recent frigid temps, so I threw in a square of frozen pesto instead of the basil.
Aside: I have no idea, other than it sounded frou-fou, why I titled this recipe Country French Soup.
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Sounds fru fru, looks delicious, what’s not to love? I think it’s cool that you used pesto instead of basil. I might give that a try too.
Plus it’s deceptively easy!
This looks really warming and tasty
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Glad you’re back. Hope your holiday trip was fabulous!
This looks and sounds really good today – so dreary and drizzly here. Great soup and nap weather. Too bad I had to work!
I’m going to pin this for future use!
Still drizzly here. Good soup weather today too.
I love your take on French Onion Soup!! The other recipes sound great too! Especially that pizza
That’s great take on the classic French onion soup. I would love it too.
So how many is a year’s supply of pizza crusts? Eating a lot of pizzas lately? This is a unique soup for sure and totally delicious! I can see why it won!
Actually, I don’t think I got all the coupons used up. I got 40 $5 coupons. That was a lot of pizza.
Congrats on the MS cookbook wins! This soup looks and sounds incredibly hearty and delicious. I don’t think I’d have to eat again for a week!
Chalk full of wonderful things.
Thanks, Kelly. I haven’t pulled that cookbook down for a while.
It’s freeeeeeezing here today. How is it up there in your neck of the woods?
Anyway…my point is this would be perfect for today!
Freezing with icicles still around!!
I sure could go for a big bowl of that right now. It is a good day for it!
Oh, what a tasty, hearty soup! There’s a definitely chill in the air and this would hit the spot!
This sounds wonderful, a nice change from the usual!