I know this might alienate me from half my readership, but I have to admit that I do not like Panera. Gasp! I know, I know, everybody loves Panera, but I find it annoyingly pretentious and irritatingly complicated for what I consider an overpriced Subway. All those suburban housewives in riding boots and silk scarves eating grilled fontina cheese sandwiches on toasted focaccia with a harvest wheatberry salad on the side- gag me with with a spoon! If I have to eat at Panera, I skip the fancy salads and cold-cut sandwiches served on too chewy bread and go straight for the broccoli cheese soup. That stuff is pretty darn tasty. But, I try to avoid Panera as much as possible, so I sure am glad I have this fabulous recipe for broccoli cheese soup that's just as good as theirs. Better even, because I don't have to spend 6 bucks for a bowl of it!
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Total time: 20 min
Serves 6
3 Tbs butter
1 cup diced onions
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
3 Tbs flour
3 cups chicken broth*
16 oz broccoli, finely chopped (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
Melt butter in a large saucepan and saute onions with salt, pepper, and nutmeg till tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook 30 seconds. Add flour and cook 2 minutes Slowly add broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till thickened, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and cheese and cook on low till melted.
*I used my homemade turkey stock for this and it tasted great, too. I always simmer my Thanksgiving turkey carcass in a big pot of water for a few hours to make a fabulous stock. Then I freeze it in ice cube trays so I can thaw just the amount I need. You can do this with leftover chicken bones, too!
304 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
As a foodie, I absolutely hate to waste anything edible. In fact, I pretty much refuse to throw away anything until it is moldy and covered in fuzz. If I think there's a chance something could still be eaten, into the fridge it goes. This makes for a very crowded fridge and some interesting leftover lunches!
A couple days ago, we had steaks for dinner, and of course, there were leftovers. I love a good hunk of beef, but leftover steak? Not so much. Needless to say, these leftovers sat in the fridge for a few days. Imagine my delight when I came across this creative use for them! You could really put any precooked meat in these, but the steak was great, and I was thrilled not to waste a single bite of it. I served these as appetizers on Thanksgiving morning to keep the vultures out of my kitchen, but this recipe would also make a good main dish for a family of 3 or 4.
Steak and Cheese Taquitos
link to original recipe
Prep: 10 min Cook: 10 min
Serves 10
2 cups cooked steak, cubed
1 1/2 cups sharp shredded cheddar
3/4 cup corn
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup oil, divided
In a large mixing bowl combine the steak, cheese, corn, salsa and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add enough oil to a large skillet to generously cover the bottom and heat on medium till sizzling.
Meanwhile, spread a scant 1/4 cup of the steak mixture off center on each tortilla and spread out like a log leaving a 1/2 inch border near the edge. Roll up and set seam side down in pan. Cook tortillas in batches turning to brown each side. Add more oil as needed to the pan in between batches. Remove taquitos to a draining rack*. If you want to save a few calories, you could bake these at 400 for about 15 minutes instead of frying them.
*According to Alton Brown, my favorite food geek, the best way to drain fried food is to line a baking sheet with paper towels or newspaper then lay a cooling rack upside down on top so that the grates are touching the paper towels. This way, the oil is wicked away from the food and absorbed by the towels, but the food does not rest directly on top of the oil-soaked paper.
326 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
