Recipe Hunting 101 - Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Before I get into today's post I want to say that I am so proud my 2010 New Years Resolution was a complete success!  I had a great time searching for tasty recipes, discovering some amazing blogs, and actually making use of my kitchen on a regular basis.  I fully intend to continue my culinary adventure in 2011.  I am having too much fun to stop now.

One of my favorite places to grab a sandwich and soup is at Panera Bread.  There bread is just amazing, and their soup is simply to die for.  My particular favorite is Broccoli Cheddar.  I was craving some the other day and decided I might as well give it a go myself.  My husband and I gobbled this soup right up.  It was super rich and creamy and wonderfully tasty!!!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup - recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt, to taste
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I used Kraft's Triple Cheddar)
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
2-1/2-3 cups chopped broccoli, steamed

Directions:
1.  Steam the broccoli and set it aside.
2.  In a small saucepan, cook the chicken soup and onion on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft. 
3.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan under low heat, add flour and pepper and whisk together.  Allow to cook for a 1-2 minutes then add milk.  Increase heat to medium-high and allow mixture to thicken up. 
4. Sitr in chicken broth until thoroughly combined.  Add cheeses and mix well. Add salt to taste, then stir in the broccoli and serve.

Having a Mac Attack, My Comfort Food of Choice

“Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable." - Ina Garten

There is absolutely no food more comforting to my very soul then a bowl of macaroni and cheese.  When I dig into macaroni and cheese I think of my grandma, Ma as my brother and I so lovingly called her.   I am also flooded with a barrage of different things: a cozy warmth, candy orange slices, yarn, paints, cardinals, the smell of burning leaves and sawdust, the sparkle of the sun off the lake water and the orange glow of the sunset lighting up the evening sky.   All flashes of distant, lovely, memories of my grandparents home on Johnson Lake.  Whenever we made the four hour trip to visit her and my grandpa, Baba, she would always make me what I called "homemade macaroni and cheese", as opposed to the from the box variety.  There was something truely amazing about her macaroni and cheese.  It wasn't a difficult recipe, she just used velveeta cheese to make it, but I have never been able to re-create it, and believe me, I have tried many times.  I finally had to come to the realization that I would never be able to make it just like she did.  Her secret ingredient was special in that it was her love for me, her own unique unami. 

Even though I will never again be able to have my Grandma's "homemade macaroni and cheese", I carry her in my heart and will always have a soft spot for the dish.  If it is on a menu at a restaurant, I find it really tough to pass it up.  It is my ultimate comfort food! 

I found this recipe while once again browsing the Tasty Kitchen link on my favorite recipe site http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/.  Her site is really just amazing and I know that I should attempt to find other sources of recipes but for now, I am sticking with her and the tasty kitchen folks!  (Psst, my next dish will also be from this site, but I promise to venture out a bit for the next one....seriously, I will.)

Creamy Dreamy Noodles adapted from jilltamara on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 bag (12 Oz. Bag) Egg Noodles, Wide Or Dumpling
6 Tablespoons Salted Butter
⅓ cups All-purpose Flour
1 pint Heavy Cream
½ cups Milk
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 cup Fontina Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste


Preparation Instructions:
1.  Follow the package instructions for preparing the egg noodles. You want to make the cheese sauce while the noodles are cooking so everything is done together. 

2.  In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the butter up over low heat. Then slowly whisk in flour to form a thick roux.
3. Pour the heavy cream into roux a little bit at a time while whisking constantly. Make sure you don't leave your sauce unattended!
4. Pour in the milk and turn the heat up to medium and add grated cheese a few good sized handfuls at a time, stirring constantly.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Drain the noodles once al dente and then pour the cheese sauce over the noodles in a large bowl and stir.

Ooey, gooey creamy goodness, actually the name of the dish really does sum it all up perfectly.  It was a nice and easy dish to make and both my hubby and I devoured it.  Hubby already had seconds, he especially loved the egg noodles.  Thankfully the recipe made a ton, so we can enjoy it for lunch again tomorrow.

-Love you Ma!!!