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!
We all love lasagna at our house, and I've posted my favorite lasagna recipe on here before, but sometimes I just don't have the time and energy to fuss with making it. But soup - now soup is easy! It takes a little time to simmer, but the hands-on time is minimal, and since I'm making dinner for 50 teenagers tomorrow and Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, I really need simple today. Besides, I'd rather devote my energy to the dessert I have planned! Plus, Uncle Johnny just arrived and he loves soup, so what better time to try out the recipe. Lasagna is great for company, and this variation did not disappoint in the least. Everybody thought it was fabulous, even the kid, who doesn't like any of the ingredients in this recipe, but scarfed down a big bowlful before I even had a chance to insist she give it a try!
Lasagna Soup
link to original recipe
Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 55 min
Serves 7
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 carton (32 oz) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried basil
12 lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
In a large soup pot, brown sausage with onion, green pepper and garlic. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil 2 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, covered (I might try reducing this next time because I'm impatient!) Stir occasionally.
Add bite sized lasagna noodles to soup and cook until tender (about 15 minutes).
When ready to serve, mix in the grated Parmesan cheese. Ladle into individual bowls and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
517 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
You know what happens when you put a whole bunch of yummy things in a Crock-Pot and let 'em simmer together for a half a day? You get a super yummy supper, that's what! The magic ingredient in this dish is definitely the smoked sausage, but it's the Crock-Pot that turns it into something truly magical. Slow cooking causes the delectable flavor of the sausage to permeate all the other ingredients, turning plain potatoes and vegetables into a creamy, smoky pot of deliciousness. This turned out quite saucy, so I served it with some crusty dinner rolls to sop up the extra because I didn't want to waste a drop.
Crock-Pot Cheesy Sausage Pot
Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 6 hrs
Serves 6
1 (16 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables
3 large potatoes, diced
2 (14 oz) pkgs smoked sausage, sliced 1/4 in thick
1 (10 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
1 (10 oz) can cream of celery soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mix all ingredients together and pour into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
760 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
My mother was not an adventurous home cook and she didn't care for very many vegetables. Consequently, I ate a whole lot of canned corn and green beans growing up, and not a lot of anything else. However, I think my mother's predilection towards canned food stemmed more from ignorance of the plethora of tasty veggies available, not from a real affection for the delicacies offered up by the Jolly Green Giant! For instance, if my mother had ever tasted caramelized butternut squash, I'm pretty sure we would have had this every other night instead of over-processed peas. I myself am slowly learning to appreciate all kinds of veggies I never even tried until my 30's and I'm finding that almost all of them can taste great if properly prepared. When I fix them for my mom, even she agrees!
Caramelized Butternut Squash
Prep time: 20 min Bake time: 45 min
Serves 8
2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
5 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 400F. Peel, de-seed, and cut squash into 1 inch cubes. Spread out on a shallow, greased pan and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Mix gently. Bake for 45 minutes till tender, stirring after 20 minutes.
172 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
