Cheddar Cheese Soup

It’s been so cold here over the past few days like it has been in many places.  Soup seemed like a logical choice for dinner so off I went to search out a recipe in my cookbooks.

This recipe has a lot of ingredients but they all work together to make a wonderful, flavorful soup.  This recipe is not hard to make and it helps to get all the ingredients ready before you start since it cooks up quickly.

The croutons are from my recipe that I posted yesterday and they are great in this soup!  Here’s the link ~ Make Your Own Croutons

Cheddar Cheese Soup

6 tbsps butter
3/4 cup minced onion
3/4 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced celery
4 tbsps flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsps dry sherry
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 chopped parsley for garnish
Croutons, optional

In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onion, carrots, and celery for about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and all the seasonings and blend. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cream and sherry, stirring. Add the cheese in cupfuls, stirring each until melted into the soup.

Garnish with parsley and croutons, if desired, and serve at once.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Source:  Lagniappe

Happy Cooking!

The Best Grilled Cheese Ever!

I found the recipe for this sandwich on Pinterest (I think) and it came from a blog called She Wears Many Hats which is a great blog which I hope you visit. This is now my favorite sandwich so thank you!!

Back to the sandwich.  First of all, I am NOT a fan of grilled cheese and what compelled me to make this sandwich, I have no idea.  However, I DO love roasted onions and mushrooms and that is what probably spurred me on.  The combination of ingredients is perfect.  It is very easy to make so it meets my criteria but it does take a bit of time to roast the vegetables. I am going to make another today for lunch but I am using Dubliner cheddar instead of the gouda for a change.

The Best Grilled Cheese Ever!

8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tbsps butter
4 slices of bread, your choice as to type of bread
1 cup gouda, shredded

Preheat oven to 400º.

On a baking sheet, mix the sliced mushrooms and onions with the olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until done to your liking. Just don’t let them burn. When finished, remove from oven and set aside.

On the stovetop in a large skillet, melt the 4 tbsps of butter over medium heat being careful not to burn.

While the butter is melting assemble sandwiches. On one slice of bread, layer the gouda, some onions and mushrooms, another layer of gouda. Top with another slice of bread. Repeat for second sandwich.

Carefully place sandwiches in skllet and let toast, being careful not to burn the bread. Flip and repeat for other side of bread. Cook until cheese has melted and bread is toasted.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Recipe from: She Wears Many Hats

Please don’t forget to enter my giveaway for one copy of Gooseberry Patch’s cookbook Hometown Harvest.   To enter, click here!!

Happy Cooking!!

Looking for Cinco de Mayo Recipes?

Top Row, Left to Right:

Guacamole Nachos

Easy Mexican Rice

Stacked Chicken Quesadillas

Middle Row, Left to Right:

Cheese Stuffed Chipotle Burgers

Chicken Enchiladas (and a sangria recipe)

Grilled Nachos

Bottom Row, Left to Right:

Huevos Rancheros from Simply Recipes

Mix-Your-Own Taco Spice

Fiesta Chicken Tacos

Happy Cooking!

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Don’t forget to enter the Gooseberry Patch cookbook giveaway!  For a chance to win a copy of Weeknight Dinners, click this LINK and leave a comment!

First of all, I love the deep fried mozzarella sticks and while the baked sticks don’t come anywhere close to tasting like the fried sticks, they are a wonderful substitute.  Especially if you are counting calories or, like me, are too lazy to get the deep fryer out and mess with all that oil.

This recipe is easy but plan for all the freezing involved.  These sticks MUST be watched in the oven or they will melt.  I watched mine and couple melted very quickly so please keep an eye on them.

I found the recipe on Pinterest and it comes from a site called The Comfort of Cooking.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

12 mozzarella sticks, cut in half to make 24 pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 Italian-style bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko
2 tsps grated Parmesan
1 tbsp dried parsley

Freeze the 24 pieces of mozzarella until hard ~ about 30 minutes.

Place the egg in a shallow dish and whisk. Place the flour in a separate dish. Place the breadcrumbs, panko, Parmesan, and parsley ~mixed~ in a third shallow dish.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.

Working quickly, dip frozen mozzarella halves into the flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are coated. Freeze on the cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes until frozen.

While the coated cheese is freezing, preheat the oven to 400º.

When the coated cheese is ready, place in oven and bake 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and turn pieces over. Return to oven for an additional 4-5 minutes.

WATCH STICKS CLOSELY because they will melt quickly.

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

Makes 24 mozzarella sticks.

Happy Cooking!

Cremini, Bacon and Shallot Crustless Quiche

This quiche was the most popular dish at the couples shower.   I only got a smidge for a taste but I must agree ~ one of the most delicious breakfast foods I have had in a long time.  I found the recipe on the Food Network site and it’s from the Food Network Kitchens.

Gruyere cheese is really expensive but is worth it in this recipe.  I don’t know enough about cheese to suggest a substitute but if someone has a good sub, please comment!  I made the quiche just like the recipe said to (I know, shocking!) EXCEPT I put it in a 9×9 baking dish because I didn’t think it would fit in my deep dish pie pan.

Please forgive the really lousy picture.  As you can see, I was following around behind people to try and get pictures.

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Cremini, Bacon and Shallot Crustless Quiche

8 slices bacon, chopped
4 tbsps unsalted butter
1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
6 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsps minced fresh Italian parsley
2 tbsps minced Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
freshly ground black pepper
generous pinch of nutmeg
4 ozs grated gruyere cheese
2 tbsps snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Discard all fat except 2 tbsps. Add 2 tbsps of butter to the fat and melt. Add the mushrooms and salt. Over medium heat, cook until mushroom juices evaporate ~ about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until tender and mushrooms are golden. Add the garlic and parsley and remove from heat, cooling slightly.

Butter a baking dish ~ either a 9 inch deep dish pie pan or a 9×9 dish ~ and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Place the pan on a baking sheet for ease in getting in and out of the oven.

Sprinkle the half the Gruyere in the pan and the all of the bacon on top. Add 3/4 of the mushroom mixture over the bacon and then scatter the rest of the cheese over the mushrooms.

Whisk the half and half, eggs, egg yolks in a large glass measuring cup. Season this mixture with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour over the the fillings in the baking dish. Top with the remaining mushrooms and sprinkle with chives.

Bake until the center of the quiche is set ~ about 40-50 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Makes about 8 or 9 servings depending on the type of pan you use.

Happy Cooking!

Green Chilie Frittata

When I first saw this recipe I was a little weirded out by the addition of the cottage cheese but it was perfect in this recipe.  This is a very easy recipe and is not spicy at all.  I used a can of fire roasted chilies and a can of regular chilies.    Any kind of cheese would be great ~ especially Monterey Jack with peppers.  I found the recipe online but not sure where since I’ve had it forever.

Green Chilie Frittata

10 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained (I use 2 (4 oz) cans, drained)
1 (16 ounce) container 2% cottage cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter (I never add this)

Preheat oven to 400º and grease a 9×13 baking dish.

In a large bowl mix the eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared dish.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 325º and bake for another 35-40 minutes.

Cool slightly and cut into squares.

Makes 8-10 servings.

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!

Cheater’s Chicken Cordon Bleu

On Saturday, during the hurricane, we still had power at lunchtime so I decided I would make our big meal and we would have one good meal.  Mr. Meat Eater thought I was nuts but was very happy with the results.

This is a really easy recipe that takes all the great flavor of chicken cordon bleu without all the work.  Time was of the essence since I had no idea when the power would go.  With the chicken we had mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and garlic bread.

I put the leftovers in the fridge until the power went out and then I put them in the cooler.  The next day I heated one side of the grill and put the chicken (wrapped in foil) on the unlit side and let it warm up.  Very good leftovers!

Cheater’s Chicken Cordon Bleu

salt and pepper to taste
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (5.5 oz) box or bag of seasoned croutons, crushed
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten and mixed with 2 tbsps water
6 thinly sliced ham slices (I used Virgina Ham)
6 Swiss cheese slices

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.

Mix crushed croutons and Parmesan cheese in a large ziplock bag.

Dip chicken in egg mixture and then place chicken in the ziplock and shake to coat. Remove to a lightly greased aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Bake at 450º for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Top each breast half with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Cheese Grits

Make sure you check out out the Recipe Index up in the top bar ~ it makes it much easier to find what you are looking for.  If I have missed anything, let me know!

Awhile back we went to brunch at Hanover Tavern where our soon to be son-in-law is the assistant director.  Mr. Meat Eater went crazy for the cheese grits.  Not being from the south, I have never been a fan of grits but after he asked me a million times, I finally found a recipe and made them.  He LOVED them.  I used the wrong kind of grits ~ old-fashioned instead of quick and I have no idea if that made any difference at all.

I would suggest that you eat them the same day they are made ~ DH said the texture was like cake when I reheated them the next day.

Cheese Grits

4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup uncooked quick grits
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350º.

Bring milk just to a boil in a large pan over medium-high heat and gradually whisk in the butter and grits. Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking constantly, 5-7 minutes until the grits are done. Remove the pan from heat.

Stir in the egg and the next 3 ingredients.

Pour into a lightly greased 11×7 baking pan. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.

Bake, covered, for 35-40 minutes or until set.

Serve immediately.

Makes 6-8 servings

Happy Cooking!

Parmesan and Garlic Fries

These are to die for!  The hardest thing about this recipe is cutting up the potatoes.   I wanted mine to look like fries so it took a bit to cut them up and then I realized I had a little contraption that would have done it for me.   Argh!!!  No matter how you cut them up, you have to try them ~ they would be perfect for a Super Bowl party, too.

Parmesan and Garlic Fries

4 large russet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch strips ~ you can leave them unpeeled if you prefer
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425º.

In a large mixing bowl, place the cut potatoes and pour the olive oil over the top. Sprinkle on the garlic, thyme and seasoned salt. Mix well until the potatoes are evenly coated. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer. DO NOT throw away the oil that is left in the bowl.

Bake 30 minutes, turning the fries over halfway through (I didn’t do this because I forgot and I don’t think it really matters if you do or you don’t). After 30 minutes of baking, return the fries to the bowl with excess oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Toss to coat and return to baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.

If desired, sprinkle fries again with a few shakes of Parmesan and a few shakes of seasoned salt.

Makes 4 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Three Tomato Pasta

What an excellent pasta recipe!  The original recipe calls for goat cheese ~ I’m still not that thrilled with goat cheese so I subbed in mozzarella but if you love goat cheese, by all means use it.  The only thing I didn’t have on hand for this recipe was the sun-dried tomatoes so this is almost a pantry recipe.  I also didn’t use the fresh parsley because I didn’t have any so I use a few shakes of dried parsley.

The recipe came from a cookbook that I bought for my DD for Christmas but I didn’t remember buying it for her last Christmas, too.  So it became MY cookbook ~ The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook from Cooking Light .

Three Tomato Pasta

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped and drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
12 ounces penne, cooked
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella or 1/2 cup goat cheese
chopped fresh parsley, if desired
chopped fresh basil, if desired

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, saute for a minute or two being careful not to let the garlic burn (if it does, throw it out and start over). Add sun-dried tomatoes and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Mixture will reduce.

Prepare penne while the sauce cooks. Drain, place pasta in same pot that you cooked it in and add the sauce, cheese, parsley and basil, if using. Mix lightly and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Happy Cooking!