Daily Archives: October 5, 2012
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli is my favorite veggie and I will eat it any way I can get it. In a salad, in a soup or just plain ole’ by itself. Which brings me to this recipe; Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I love me some soup just like I love me some salad. So if you’re looking for a broccoli cheddar soup recipe that is flavorful, creamy, comforting and downright addictive then whip this baby up ASAP. I’m so adding this as a regular to our fall/winter lunch & dinner menu.
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups fresh broccoli
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup white onions, finely diced (can use more)
- 1/2 cup baby carrots, finely diced *optional*
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup smoked gouda cheese
Instructions
1. Place broccoli in a large bowl with about 4 tablespoons of water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 7-10 minutes or until broccoli is steamed and tender. Chop broccoli into tiny pieces. Set aside.
2. In a medium pot, add broth, onion, carrots and garlic. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until onions are tender. Set aside.
3. Add milk and heavy cream to a bowl and microwave until warm. Set aside.
4. In a large pot or deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat if flour starts to brown. Add in salt and pepper and continue to stir for 1 minute.
5. Next slowly stir in milk and heavy cream. Stir in chicken broth mixture. Stir in cheeses and add the broccoli. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
6. Serve hot in bread bowls or regular bowls & Enjoy.
Monster Cookies
Monster cookies aren’t anything new. They’ve been around a very long time. They are basically a peanut butter- oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and M&M candies mixed in. Just imagine sinking your teeth into these chewy and bumpy like texture cookies. You immediately notice the irresistible duo of peanut butter and chocolate and almost instantly there’s that crunch from the m & m’s. So many beautiful things are going on in your mouth that it’s like having a taste overload. Okay enough talking about it. It’s time to BAKE!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups creamy or chunky peanut butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup M&M’s plain chocolate candies
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper or a silpat mats.
2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugars and butter. Use an electric mixer to mix until well combined. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the oats and baking soda. Then stir in the chips and M&M’s.
3. Drop the cookies by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. If you’d like your cookies to look pretty (like the photo), dot a few extra M&M’s and chocolate chips on each mound of dough before baking.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets until cookies are set. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
*CHEF’S TIP – These cookie store great in the freezer.
“Funeral Sandwiches”
I recently discovered this recipe while browsing one of my favorite forums. The name along intrigued me to take a look-sy. I never heard of “Funeral Sandwiches” before now but anything that involves a sammie I’m all in. Talk about Total Yum factor; Not to mention the recipe calls for brown sugar and King’s Hawaiian Rolls. Double Yum! This would be a perfect dish for tailgating or entertaining.
Ingredients
For the sandwiches:
- 24 King’s Hawaiian Rolls
- 24 slices deli slice Honey Ham
- 24 slices deli slice Swiss cheese
- Mayonnaise
For the glaze:
- 2 sticks butter, melted
- 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
- Poppy seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
1. Cut the rolls in half and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Lightly oil or spray baking pan with Pam. Line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. Layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half back on.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar and onion. Pour the entire concoction over the buns, drenching each one. Sprinkle each sammie with poppy seeds. Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden. Serve warm!
*CHEF’S TIP – BYOC (Be Your Own Chef) Mix and Match your favorite deli meats and cheeses to truly personalize it and make it your own.
Sweet Potato Butter Cake
The very first time I made this recipe was for Thanksgiving dinner a few years back. I thought it was a total disaster. That was until I tasted it. You see the original recipe calls for pumpkin and I’m not that type of girl. So being that I LOVE sweet potatoes the Chef in me thought it would be clever to just substitute the two. After all they are kind of similar, right? Anywho, the plan was set and the butter cake was made but as the saying goes you eat with your eyes first. And without even tasting the dessert I just knew I had messed up because it didn’t look nothing like the picture on the internet. And without a second thought we just pushed it to the side and opt’d for the other desserts.
Well as fate would have it all the other desserts were gone in record setting time and the only thing that was left was this concoction of sweet potatoes, powdered sugar and cake mix. My husband and I hesitated but decided Why Not? We have to try it at some point. And Boy O’ Boy was it good. We just looked at each other and proceeded to give the head nod of approval. And the rest is history.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 2 small to medium sweet potatoes, baked & mashed
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Lightly oil hands and pat the mixture into the bottom 13 by 9-inch baking pan until covered evenly.
3. To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread sweet potato mixture over cake batter crust and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
4. I like to serve my Sweet Potato Butter Cake slightly warm & with fresh whipped cream.
Original “pumpkin” recipe & photo courtesy of: Baking Is My Zen
I Am Lady Fab 