Broccoli and Cheese soup

Last night it was snowing and cold and a bowl of soup sounded delicious, lucky for me I had all the ingredients to make this recipe. It was creamy and delicious, with just the right amount of broccoli and cheese, needless to say it was YUM-O. try it.


Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 7-inch sourdough bread boules (round loaves )
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese , plus more for garnish
Directions
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.
Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)
Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.

Recipe from foodnetwork.com

Hoppin John by Elizabeth Eastmond

Yeah!!! my first "guest" post. If you want to share you recipes with me (us) than please email me, I would love to have your family favorite :) barbaracharon@yahoo.com


For a time we lived in the south--Arlington, Texas--to be exact. Every region of the country has their food traditions and one famous one for that area is serving a dish called "Hoppin' John" for New Year's Eve. Basically it's a combination of black-eyed peas, brown rice, sausage and bacon all simmered together. I got the recipe from my cross-the-street-neighbor, Margaret Hall, who brought some over one New Year's Day. "Oh, you have to try it!" she said. "It brings good luck to the new year." I ate it, and was hooked. As for good luck? Well, that was the year one of my children was born--a baby a sure sign of good luck if I ever saw one.

Happy New Year and Enjoy!
Elizabeth Eastmond
elizabethcooks.com

Hoppin' John
Prepare separately:
1 cup brown rice (when cooked yield is 3 cups)
1 pound Jimmy Dean's Sage sausage, browned and drained
1 pound bacon, chopped and cooked
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
3 16-oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
a few drops of Tobasco sauce, to taste
salt and pepper (check first, as the bacon can add enough salt)

Add all to a crock pot. It is ready when hot (2-3 hours). You can also do this stovetop, adding chicken broth as necessary to keep it moist. I've also heard it can be made with white rice, or spicy-hot sausage, although I've never tried that.

We like serving it with freshly baked tortillas, or gritty corn chips for scooping. It's always better the next day too, so enjoy it on New Year's Day while you take down the Christmas tree.

White Bean Chicken Chili

A year ago (I can't believe it's already been a year) I had my third child and at the ripe age of 30 and because of it, I contracted a heart disease called Peripartum Cardiomyopahty. It completely changed my life, I couldn't do ANYTHING, and for the first 3 months our ward (Church) brought us in dinner every other night. It was a HUGE Blessing and this was one of the dinners we got. Miss amazing, @CyndyMickelson gave me her recipe for this chicken chili. YUM. Stick it in a crock pot for the day and forget about it.



Ingredients:
3 cans Great Northern White Beans
3 chicken breast (1/2's) cook-season with below spices and cut up into small cubes
1 T. olive oil
1 Med Onion chopped
4 t. garlic
2-4oz can chopped green chilies
1 can chicken broth
3 c. grated jack cheese
2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. gr. cloves
1/4 t cayenne pepper
S & P

Directions:
Cook chicken cut into small cubes and season. Saute onion, garlic in oil, add chilies and saute for 2 min. Add beans, chicken broth, onion mixture & chicken to large pot or crock pot. Simmer for 2 hours. Then add cheese and let it melt. Season with S&P. Garnish with sour cream and salsa and fresh snipped cilantro.
Yummy on a "cold" day.

Number Of Servings:Probably 6-8

Recipe from Cyndy Mickelson

Potato Stewp

Potato Stewp
(thicker than soup, but not a stew)

6-8 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tbs margarine
3 Tbs flour
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 cans chicken broth
2-3 cups cheese
6-8 strips of cooked bacon
1 can evaporated milk
3-4 chopped chives
½ cup sour cream

Salt & pepper to taste, minced onion and garlic powder


Cook potatoes in water with bullion cubes. When soft drain and leave in strainer. Over high heat melt butter and sift in flour, stir with whisk. (will be pasty-it’s the Rue) slowly add the Chicken broth, a little at a time. Keep whisking. Add a little at a time until 1 can is added. Stewp should be thick. Add potatoes back and add ½ of the second can of broth. Then add evaporated milk. Stir. Keep on low rolling boil. Then add cheese, bacon, chives (green onion bottoms) pull off heat, before serving add sour cream. Then season to taste. Yum!

Recipe from Eve Cardiff

Chili

When it looks like this outside:

you definetively need chili!

Ingredients:

1-2 lb hanburger
1 1/2 chopped onions
1 chili packet (seasoning packet)
1 Tbs chili powder
1 big can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
3 cans diced tomatoes
2 small cans kidney beans
2 small cans black beans or pinto
2 Tbsp whisteshire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 can chili

brown hamburger and onions in sauce pan. Mix all other ingredients into crockpot. I drain and rinse my beans. add hamburger and onion mixture to crockpot and simmer on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Recipe came from my besty Kristy Bliss

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Chili's)
(I usually use 2/3 of the spices this calls for because it is a bit spicy)

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 small onions, diced
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons chicken base
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup masa harina (dry)—in flour aisle
8 cups water
1 cup crushed tomatoes
8-12 oz. Velveeta cheese
Garnish with tortilla chips, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream....

In a large pot, place oil, chicken base, onion, cumin, chili and garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
Sauté until onions are soft and translucent, about five minutes. In a bowl, combine masa harina with four cups water. Stir well until all lumps are dissolved. Add to onion mixture and bring to a boil. Stir constantly 2-3 minutes to eliminate raw taste from the masa. Add 4 cups water (or a bit more) and 1 cup tomatoes. Boil, stirring occasionally. Add cheese stirring constantly until completely melted. Add chicken and cook until heated through.

**I usually top the soup with avacado, sour cream, and cheese**

This recipe is from my friend Jamie Morriss

Zuppa Tuscana

David first had this soup at Olive Garden about a year ago. Well we haven't been back in awhile so David decided to re-create the soup. It tastes better than the original (I am a little bias.)

So here are the basic ingredients with estimated amounts (David is a guy, he doesn't really "measure" anything)

3 cans chicken broth

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Head of celery

1 onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 package mild Italian sausage

8 potatoes

1 cup heavy cream

bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley

Cornstarch (for thickening)

This is how David puts it together:

Put chicken stock in large pot. Bring to a boil. While waiting chop celery and onion and saute in olive oil add garlic at the end. Remove and set aside, in same pan fry up sausage. Peel potatoes and add to boiling chicken stock, add completely cooked and cut sausage. Add in celery/onion mixture. Pour in Heavy whipping cream and optional spices like, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning.

Thicken with cornstarch mixed in a little bit of water. then add parsley. let simmer for awhile (10-20 minutes)

I think that is it... any questions? Ask David!