Broccoli Cheese Soup

Hubby has been craving broccoli cheese soup (he NEVER used to eat it) so I found this recipe that is supposed to be a copy of Panera's which he likes. Hopefully it ends up tasting like it!

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

My suggestions: No need to puree, it was perfect without it! Tasted pretty good but could have used a little more cheese. Not sure the nutmeg fit in well, I would have preferred it without it. Could have been slightly thicker. Overall a great recipe though!

Onion Loaf with Cheese

A co-worker of mine made this for one of our lunches and it was so delicious and sounds easy to make!

1 loaf italian bread
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 stick butter
12-15 slices of swiss cheese

Cut bread length wise and then across as many times as you would like (thicker slices are recommended though). Saute the onions in about 1 tbsp of the butter, add the rest of the butter and melt. Place the cheese slices on the bread and then pour the butter mixture overtop. Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Uncover and bake another 15.

Crockpot Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole

This is a recipe that I found this week while searching for something to make for our Holiday Party at work! I needed something easy and in a crockpot and this worked!

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 c margarine

2 c uncooked quick-cooking rice

2 c water

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 tsp salt

1 (5 oz) jar sharp cheese spread

2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen chopped broccoli

Combine onion, margarine, rice, water, soup, salt, cheese & broccoli to the Crock Pot. Cook on Low for 6 hours. Serves 8.

Ham and Potato Soup

Pulled this recipe off of allrecipes.com and I need to try it. It looks like it got pretty good reviews!

Direct Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Delicious-Ham-and-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala

This is probably one of my FAVORITE recipes! I love the taste of this....no mushrooms though because I don't like them but it's still awesome. You can add mushrooms if you would like :)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
flour
majorum
salt
pepper
1 cup onion, chopped
1 T butter
1 t corn starch
1 t cold water
Pinch of sugar

Mix salt, pepper, flour and majorum. Coat chicken breasts in mixture. Melt butter in heavy bottom skillet, lightly brown chicken breasts in butter on medium heat. Remove chicken breasts from pan, add onions and cook until soft. Add chicken back in the pan, add marsala wine and chicken broth. You may choose to add a slight bit more of each to make more sauce. Bring to a boil for 1 min, then reduce heat and cover. Cook 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan, if you would like you can now thicken up the sauce by mixing the corn starch and water and then adding it to the pan. You can also add the sugar now too. Allow to boil for 1 min. Add the chicken back in and cover, cook 10 more minutes.

Note: I usually wait until the end to thicken up the sauce. I do add the sugar and cook for a minute but then take the chicken out at the end and thicken it up then.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

I haven't tried this one yet but it looks super easy and sounds good!

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups milk
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Salt/Pepper

Combine all ingredients except for chicken and pour into a 9x13 in casserole dish. Add chicken pieces. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for 90 min, stirring every 30 min until rice is done. Cook uncovered 15 mins.

Pork Chops IN Scalloped Potatoes

This is an awesome recipe and so easy that I got from Ben's Aunt Cathie. It's pork chops cooked in scalloped potatoes in the oven.

1 pkg of 4 regular thickness porkchops
2 boxes scalloped potatoes
Salt
Pepper

Salt and Pepper the porkchops and lightly brown (about 3-4 min each side) - I use my george forman but you can pan fry also. Mix scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish per box directions for the oven. Put scalloped potatoes in the casserole and add porkchops on top. Bake 1 hr at 350 degrees.

Noodles and Gravy

Here's a really simple recipe and really cheap too!

1 package extra wide egg noodles (you may not use whole bag)
2 packages brown gravy mix
1 lb ground beef

Brown ground beef. Cook egg noodles until tender. Cook brown gravy according to directions. Mix all elements together. You can also add onion to this recipe and cook it in with the beef. Good with Tabasco sauce :)

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

So we got a little tired of this recipe so I haven't made it in a while but I figure with the fall/winter coming we will start making it again.

1 tube biscuits (buttermilk)
1 tube Bob Evans original sausage
Country Gravy Mix (I usually use McCormicks)

Make country gravy to directions on the package. Brown sausage and then mix in with gravy. Cook biscuits to directions on the package.

Aunt Audrey's Hashbrown Casserole

I have gotten RAVE reviews on this casserole and everyone always wants me to bring it to the next cookout. Ben's Aunt gave this recipe to me at my bridal shower :)

2 lb bag frozen has browns, thawed
1 pint sour cream (this is 16 ounces but I only use 8 because I'm not a fan of sour cream)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 sticks butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers

Melt 1 stick butter, place in 9 x 13 casserole dish with hashbrowns, sour cream, cheese, onion and cream of chicken soup. Mix until through combined. Melt other stick of butter and mix in crushed Ritz crackers until combined. Pour cracker mixture over casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Grandma's Cheesy Green Beans

This is my Grandma Evan's recipe for cheesy green beans. She adds mushrooms to the mix but I don't like mushrooms so I don't add them :)

2 T butter
2 T corn starch
1 1/2 cups milk
3 slices of american cheese
1 can green beans, drained
Salt
Pepper

Melt butter in pan. Add corn starch and stir until mixed well. Slow add milk in to the pan, mixing as you go. Let it mixture warm but not boil. Add cheese slices. Let cheese melt and then add green beans. Cook 5-7 minutes.

Easy Lasagna

I've only made this once before but it turned out pretty good.

1 lb ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 small container ricotta cheese
3 cups mozzarella
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
12 lasagna noodles

Brown beef, drain. Add sauce and water and simmer 10 minutes. Combine all other ingredients except lasagna noodles. Pour 1 cup sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Make 1 layer of noodles and cover with sauce. Spread 1/2 of filling over sauce. Repeat layer of noodles, sauce and filling. Top with layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and cook 10 more minutes.

Crockpot Beef Stew

I've gotten great reviews of this dish (other then from hubby!) and it's so easy because it's in the crockpot! I go heavy on the celery and potatoes because hubby is not a fan of carrots but you can even it out a little more if you would like.

1 pkg beef stew meat
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp paprika
Salt, Pepper
5 potatoes, cleaned and cubed
3 stalks celery, cleaned and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cups beef broth (about 2 cans)

Put stew meat in bottom of crockpot. Mix flour, paprika, salt and pepper, pour over stew meat. Mix with your hands until meat is covered. Put vegetables in the crockpot. Cover with beef broth and stir to mix. Cook 8 hrs on low, stirring occasionally.

My Meatloaf

I know there are about a gazillion meatloaf recipes out there (and yes I've tried my share) but I seem to like this one the best.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or meatloaf mix from the store)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 T brown sugar
2 T (Jack Daniel's) dijon mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
1 cup dried bread crumbs
salt
pepper

Combine beef, onion, egg, milk, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Place mixture in a lightly greased 9x5 pan. Combine mustard, ketchup and brown sugar and pour over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

This is a standard favorite...you could do it without the ground beef but my husband is a meat eater so gotta have it there.

20 pasta shells, cooked
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 small container ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

Cook ground beef until brown. Once brown, drain and return to pan. Add spaghetti sauce and cook on low until warm. Meanwhile, mix 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg in a large bowl. Pour a small amount of spaghetti sauce in bottom of a casserole dish to keep them from sticking. Stuff cooked pasta shells with a large spoonful of cheese mixture and place seam side down in the dish. Pour beef sauce over top of the stuffed shells and make sure all are throughly covered with sauce. Sprinkle remaining cup of mozzarella cheese over the top of the dish. Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for 25 mins.

Just the beginning

So my name is Ann obviously from the title. I really deep down do love to cook I just need to find recipes that interest me. I have found some good ones over the past few years since moving in with my now husband (hamburger helper doesn't cut it anymore!). So this is my journey on trialing recipes. I will be sure to denote the ones that I have made before and which ones I want to try!