Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Ahh! It's been snowing here in Utah since yesterday afternoon. Stephen and I woke up extra early this morning to shovel snow so that he wouldn't be late to class. We were surprised, although we shouldn't have been, to find about 7-8 inches... it's definitely a winter wonderland out there! I hear it's suppose to continue snowing until tomorrow afternoon, so that means it's time for me to break out my Le Creuset and start making soup! Earlier in the week I made this cheesy broccoli soup before I went to work. Not only was it quick to make, but I felt like I was getting a full serving of veggies with each spoonful. With that said, if you're looking to lighten things up you can always use fat-free half & half and go easy on the cheese, it will taste just as good, I promise! I'm definitely considering making this again tonight, Stephen loved it and I did too! Have a great weekend and for those braving the snow, be safe!

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

¼ c. all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. butter

2 c. chicken stock

2 c. half & half or heavy cream

2 large heads of broccoli, sectioned into bite size pieces

1 carrot, cut into ¼" slices

2 stalks of celery, cut into ¼" slices

½ of a large yellow onion, diced

8 oz (or more) cheddar cheese, finely grated and at room temperature

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat add butter. Once butter has melted add carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender. Add celery and onions, cook until translucent. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and flour over vegetable mixture and stir until mixture becomes clumpy. Allow mixture to cook for one minute while stirring frequently. 

2. Add chicken broth and turn heat up to high, whisk until mixture is smooth. Add the half & half or heavy cream, then bring mixture to a boil. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then add the broccoli pieces. Simmer until the broccoli becomes tender and are cooked all of the way through. 

3. Remove pot from heat and allow soup to cool for 5 minutes before adding the cheese. To prevent the cheese from curdling, slowly add the cheese a few tablespoons at a time, whisking constantly. Do not add more until the cheese you just added has melted completely! Once all of the cheese has been added, serve immediately!

Note: If you want your soup to be more cheesy, just add a few more ounces of cheese to it (2-4 oz)

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 6-8 servings

Guest Post: Buffalo Chicken Chili

Hello friends! Today I'm off running errands and getting ready for a few really busy weeks that are ahead, so Meredith is taking over for me and sharing a really tasty chili recipe with you all! Enjoy!

December is prime holiday season, which means your schedule is probably starting to get packed with holiday parties, potlucks and visits from out-of-town family members or friends.  Food is usually the main event at all of these get-togethers, so cooking for a crowd is a necessary skill to perfect during the holiday season.

One of the best crowd-feeding tricks to keep up your sleeve during the holidays, and throughout the entire year for that matter, is knowing how to make one-pot meals.  One-pot meals save you lots of cleanup, allow for easy serving and usually make large batches perfect for feeding a ton of people—all of which are perfect for holiday party foods.  From spinach dips to baked Brie and easy chili recipes to intricate lasagnas, there are plenty of different dishes to bring to all of your holiday events. This chili recipe is extra-special because it combines the soupy goodness of chili with the spicy kick of buffalo wings; it’s basically like eating hot wings with spoon, but healthier and without getting sticky sauce all over your hands!  How could you not love that?  Feed it to your family and friends this holiday season or whip up a pot for the next football game—you’ll never look at chili the same way again.    

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 6

Calories per Serving: 230

Ingredients

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

1¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1½ cups sliced celery

1 (15 oz) can Rosarita® Premium Whole Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can Hunt’s® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained

1 (8 oz) can Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons red pepper sauce

⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a large saucepan or Dutch oven with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and celery; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce and pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and flavors are blended.
3. Top each serving with blue cheese. Add more pepper sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

Author Bio: Meredith K. writes on behalf of ReadySetEat®.
For other easy dinner ideas, along with tips for how to make chili, visit www.readyseteat.com. 

Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Cream

I'm kind of on a pumpkin/squash kick right now. Aside from all of the pumpkin goodies I've made, last week I made pumpkin risotto and yesterday I made this butternut squash soup. I started off by taking my halved (and cleaned) butternut squash and placing it onto a foil-line baking sheet. I brushed the halves with some olive oil and sprinkled them with sugar. I roasted them in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees (time and temp will vary based on the size of your squash). I knew they were done after I had poked them at their thickest part with a knife, it should feel like your cutting into soft butter. I diced them up, set them aside and prepped the rest of my ingredients. Then it was just a matter of letting everything simmer for 20 minutes and immersion blending it all. Easy, right?! I wanted to add a little extra something to it, so I broke out my KitchenAid and made some spiced whipped cream. This is optional, but I think you'll find that it really helps to balance out the sweetness of the soup. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Cream

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, halved, roasted and diced into 1" chunks

½ of a medium yellow onion, diced

3½ c. chicken broth

¼ c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. butter

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. thyme

¹⁄₈ tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. ground black (or white) pepper

¼ tsp. sea salt

Juice of ½ a lemon

Spiced whipped cream:

½ c. heavy cream

¹⁄₈ tsp. cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat, melt butter. When butter is hot, add onion and cook until it becomes translucent. Add cooked squash and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. 

2. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a low boil. Season with ginger, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Allow mixture to cook for 20 minutes before removing from heat and immersion blending (or you can use a blender and puree it in batches). The soup should be smooth. Add in heavy cream, set over low heat while preparing the spiced whipped cream.

3. To make the spiced whipped cream, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add cream, salt and cayenne pepper. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Place a dollop in each bowl of soup. Serve immediately. 

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 6 servings

Potato Corn & Bacon Chowder

I absolutely love soup! My husband can attest to the fact that I make soup about 2-3 times a week. I'm not sure how much he loves it, but he never complains ;) This soup is one I've made before and keep coming back to. It's chunky, creamy and topped with crisp pieces of bacon. Let's be honest, everything is better with bacon! I like to add leek to it in the fall because it really gives the soup added flavor and texture. Also fresh corn is definitely the way to go but if you can't get your hands on some, try frozen. One thing I really love about this soup is that it comes together in 30 minutes... that and the fact that it's an entire meal in one bowl. It's hearty and filling and will definitely keep you coming back for more!

Potato Corn & Bacon Chowder
Ingredients
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. whole milk or half & half
4 c. or (1) 32 oz. box chicken broth
3 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked until crisp and diced
½ c. medium-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 russet potatoes, rinsed, peeled (optional) and cubed into 1" chunks
2 c. fresh corn
½ of a yellow onion, diced
1 leek, rinsed well and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt + a pinch for sweating
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₈ - ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, depending on personal taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Set a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add butter and melt. When butter has melted add onion and leek. Add a pinch of salt to help the onion and leek sweat and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender and transparent. Add garlic and corn and cook for 3 more minutes.
2. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Slowly add chicken broth and then milk. Turn heat up to medium-high, then add potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Once the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened, turn heat off. Add in cheddar cheese and stir until incorporated. Spoon into individual bowls and top with crisp bacon pieces. Serve immediately.
Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 4-6 servings

Pozole Rojo + Homemade Tortillas

One of my favorite things to make as the weather beings to cool off is soup and/or stew. When I was planning out what to make this week Stephen buzzed in and wanted me to make Pozole. Apparently when we were browsing through one of my cookbooks he saw a recipe for it. I had no idea what Pozole was, but after reading through the ingredients I was entrigued. He begged me to make it, he even went to the store with me and helped pick out some of the ingredients. I guess he had eaten it a few times while serving his mission and grew to love it. He said the first time he was terrified because he didn't know what hominy was and started gagging. Great, I thought, you gagged... why are we making this?! He assured me that it was delicious and that he was just creeped out because he didn't realize hominy was just puffed corn. I told him I'd give it a try, but I was pretty skeptical.

He suggested serving it with a side of tortillas. Since store bought tortillas aren't very authentic I went to Pinterest and looked for homemade tortillas. I found a pin I had saved from a while back and followed the link. I was pleased with the comments and reviews it was given so I gave it a try. I added a bit of sugar and substituted some of the all-purpose flour for wheat flour. They turned out to be really tasty, along with the Pozole. Stephen was incredibly happy and I was pleasantly surprised by just how delicious it all was (really, I'm kind of a picky eater and I loved it)! He couldn't stop thanking me for making it and for doing such a good job. Success!

Pozole Rojo
Ingredients
2 lb pork roast
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 lime, juiced
1 (29 oz) can hominy
5 c. chicken broth
1 c. boiling water + 1½ tbsp. ancho chili powder (dissolve)
½ tsp. dried oregano
Salt + Pepper

Garnishes:
Radish
Cilantro
Lettuce
Lime

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil. Generously salt and pepper pork on both sides, set into dutch oven. Braise both sides (4-5 minutes on each side). Add tomatoes, oregano, and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Cover dutch oven and place into oven. Bake for 2½ hours or until pork becomes tender and begins to fall apart. Remove from oven, using tongs place pork onto a cutting board and shred. Return to pot the stove top, turn heat to medium-high until broth begins to simmer. Place pork back in and add ancho chili mixture, hominy and lime juice. Simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish and serve.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Pozole Rojo | Makes approximately 6 servings

Homemade Tortillas
Ingredients
2½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 c. hot water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

2. Pour in canola oil and melted butter, gently mix together with fingers until oil/butter is incorporated and the mixture beings to form coarse crumbs.

3. Add hot water and keep mixing until a large ball is formed. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30-40 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into 12 equal size balls and roll out one at a time on a lightly floured surface. Place one rolled tortilla at a time into a hot, ungreased skillet over medium-high heat. Flip the tortilla when blisters form on the first side, continue heating the next side. Serve warm.
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen, Healthy Homemade Tortillas | Makes 12 soft taco size tortillas

Loaded Potato Soup

If you're looking for a quick, easy, filling soup, look no further. When I told Stephen that I was making soup for dinner he gave me a funny look. "Oh, I see, we're going to have a nice summer soup... it's like 90 degrees outside," he replied sarcastically. However, once he had a spoonful he quickly changed his tune :)

We think you'll like this loaded soup just as much as we did!

Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients
3-4 russet potatoes, cubed
5 c. low-sodium chicken broth
½ c. milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ c. cheddar cheese, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
2 green onions, diced
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Toppings:
1 green onion, diced
Additional bacon bits
Dollops of sour cream
Grated cheddar

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until it becomes golden brown in color. Add the potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth and milk. Turn heat to mediun-high. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Add cheese, bacon pieces, green onion and seasonings. Turn heat to low and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

3. Serve and garnish with desired toppings.

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 4 servings

Spicy White Chicken Chili

Stephen and I love chili. We make three bean chili a couple of times a month. But sometimes you've just got to change things up. Right? So I originally saw this recipe on Pinterest, and then my friend Mandy made it and loved it, and that is when I decided we needed to give it a try. As usual, I altered things a bit. Since we are both big fans of heat, we spiced things up by adding some cayenne pepper and jalapenos. I topped mine off with some some jack cheese, lime and cilantro, and Stephen scooped up whatever was left at the bottom of his bowl with tortilla chips. Makes a perfect "light" chili.

Spicy White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can of corn, drained

1 (4 oz) can green chilies

1/2 (4 oz) can jalapeno peppers

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 (32 oz) box chicken broth

2 c. cooked chicken, shredded

2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

{Garnish with cilantro, shredded Monterey jack cheese, or lime juice}

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse and drain beans and corn, set aside.

2. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion and garlic once oil becomes hot. Saute until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add chilies, jalapeno peppers and corn. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne pepper and continue to saute for 1 more minute. 

3. Pour chicken broth over vegetables. Bring to a simmer. Add beans, cover and let simmer for 20 additional minutes. 

4. Once stock has simmered, add shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 10 additional minutes. 

5. Garnish and serve as desired.

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 4-6 servings

Butternut Squash Bisque

A few nights ago I made a butternut squash risotto and found myself with half of a cooked squash left over. I thought about making macaroni and cheese with it but decided instead to make a bisque. This recipe is light, healthy and comes together really quickly (30 minutes or so) if you've already pre-cooked your squash (which is easy... cut it in half, place it in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for 45 min-1 hour). It's perfect for a cold day and goes great with grilled cheese on sourdough and a side salad.

Butternut Squash Bisque
Ingredients
2- 2 1/2 c. cooked butternut squash, cubed
half of a yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
pinch of nutmeg & ginger
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
4 c. chicken broth or stock
1/2 c. fat-free half-and-half
low-fat sour cream or cream cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle flour over top and mix so that all of the ingredients are coated. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add squash, broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, adding sage, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes (this will be about the same amount of time if you decide not to pre-cook your squash).
4. Remove from heat and use a ladle to scoop the mixture into a blender (I was able to fit all of mine in one batch). Puree until smooth. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or cream cheese for garnish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 4-6 servings

Lasagna Soup

So I've been making a lot of soups and hot dishes lately. I blame it on the cooler weather we're having here, but regardless, they've all been really tasty. I started by making lasagna soup, then my three bean chili, I moved on to butternut squash risotto, and then finally stopped with a butternut squash soup. The reason why I love this lasagna soup so much I that it has the same great taste of lasagna, but without the time, effort and mess that goes into it. If you're not a fan of zucchini or squash, you can simply omit those two ingredients, I just always add extra veggies where I can.

Lasagna Soup
Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage or ground beef
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow crookneck squash, sliced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta (or break up bits of lasagna noodles)
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheesy "filling"
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage or ground beef, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns brown in color.
2. Add diced tomatoes, zucchini, squash, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a separate pot, cook pasta.
3. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
4. To serve, place a ladle full of pasta in each bowl, then a dollop of the cheesy filling-  sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese. Enjoy!