Homemade Tomato Basil Soup and Three Cheese Grilled Cheese

Homemade Tomato Basil Soup and Three Cheese Grilled Cheese

Well, it's been actual years since I've blogged, due to life being so super crazy, changing jobs, kids' schedules, etc. but while looking at my "Memories" popup thing on Facebook, I came across this recipe I made years ago, before I even started this blog, and thought, "Hey, why not. I mean, It's practically just copying and pasting, right?" 

So here I am. Blogging something. Who'd of thought I'd get back here again. (Certainly not me...)

Anyway, this recipe is comfort food at it's finest. It really takes you back to childhood, only this time, it's a little more flavorful. And even if it's not a loaf of soup from a can and a slice of cheese-product wrapped in cellophane on Wonder Bread, it's still pretty easy.

Soup:
2 Large (28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes (fresh are good too, but it's a lot of work skinning and seeding that many tomatoes) 
1 jar pasta sauce (we like Hunt's Four Cheese in the can, actually)
1/2- 1 Whole Onion, diced
5 or so cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste 
3/4 - 1 cup or so fresh basil 
1 box free range/organic chicken (veggie works too, for you vegetarians) stock
 A cup and a half or so of fat free 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 Cup Finely Shredded or Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping
Ricotta Cheese, if desired


Just saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft/translucent, then add everything else, and simmer for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better though). This is also good topped with a little dollop of ricotta and some more fresh basil "confetti", along with the Parmesan. 


Sandwiches: 
Smoked Gouda 
Sharp Cheddar 
Havarti 
Sourdough Bread
Butter
*You can use any combo of cheeses you'd like. We just really liked these. 

Lightly butter the outside of two slices sourdough, add desired amount of cheese, and grill until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Repeat for each sandwich you want to make. 

Enjoy!

Beer Cheese and Bratwurst Mac & Cheese

 

Ahhh, you smell that?

Fall.

Autumn in the air.

Apples. Pumpkin flavored everything. Caramel deliciousness.

Also, Oktoberfest!

I think many are surprised to know that it actually happens in September, usually ringing in the crisp, cool, autumn weather. (Unless you live in Southern California like me, and the weather feels like a cruel continuation of the worst Summer EVER! It's STILL 80 degrees INSIDE my house as I type this! But hey, any excuse for good beer and sausage, yes?)

Here in the North County part of San Diego, we have lots of amazing restaurants, and one of our favorites a town over from us in San Marcos is Sublime Ale House, which specializes in gourmet mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. They also have a FABULOUS beer cheese soup, which is where I found inspiration for this recipe.

This right here might be the ultimate comfort food. It's rich and creamy and delicious, and has quickly become my husband Dave's favorite meal.

This weekend his best friend from his military days, Chris, came to visit for a "guy's weekend". They been playing Diablo 3 on their computers (sitting side by side, just like an episode of The Big Bang Theory.), visiting Golden Coast Mead (which alone is worth the trip down from Oregon! Boozy goodness made from honey, supporting wonderful bees in all their glory? Yes, please!), and doing other guy things. Whatever those things might be. Mostly eating, gaming, and drinking though.

Weeks before Chris even got here, Dave put in his request for this Beer Cheese Mac & Cheese. He's a big fan of my other made-from-scratch mac & cheese, but the first time I made this one, it not only replaced the original, but he now considers it his favorite thing I make.

Now, I don't make this very often. Because even though it's heaven-in-your-mouth delicious, it's super NOT healthy. And also, because it's more work than I like to do for a regular weeknight meal. So I save it for special occasions like birthdays and when friends or family are visiting.

And for Oktoberfest weekend of course!!

Beer Cheese and Bratwurst Mac & Cheese

1 package (5 links) Bratwurst, cooked and diced.
1 Stick of Butter
Around 3-4 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour (I don't measure, but it needs to be enough that it forms a glue-like consistency when added to the butter.)
2 tsp. or so Garlic Salt
Pepper to taste
1 12 oz. bottle of lighter beer, such as Budweiser (Darker beers are delicious to drink while making this, but can overpower everything else if used in the recipe. Stick to the cheap-ish stuff. )
1 8 Oz. Package of Cream Cheese, cut into chunks
1 1/2 C. Fat Free Half and Half (you can use regular, but the fat free is just as good, and saves a few calories.)
1 Lb. PLUS 1 C. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, hand shredded (pre-shredded leaves this a totally different, weird consistency because of the non-clumping stuff "they" add to it.)
1 Lb. Small Shell or Elbow Pasta, cooked until all the way done (not al dente) and drained.
More salt and pepper, if needed.
.

Preheat oven to 425.

Cook and dice the bratwurst. Set aside in a bowl lined with paper towels, to drain.

In a large skillet melt the butter, then add the AP flour and cook until well combined, and the consistency of runny-ish glue. Stir in garlic salt and pepper.

Whisk in the bottle of beer. Keep stirring until well combined, and hot.

Whisk in the cream cheese, until melted and combined.

Whisk in the half and half.

When the mixture starts to thicken a bit, start adding the shredded cheese, small handfuls at a time, until combined well, and the cheese isn't stringy anymore, but a thick sauce.

(Now you could stop here, and you'll have the absolute best beer cheese dip for soft preztels or those amazing pretzel rolls from Costco. Perfect for those who like to watch sports in groups, which I don't. Or for movie nights or TV show marathons with a group of friends, which I do happen to love!)

Add the diced bratwurst, then combine with pasta. Taste test and any more salt and pepper, only if needed.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish, top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

Serve with some healthy veggies or a salad to counteract all that cheesiness.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Green Chile Cheese Rice

 

It's a very rare thing when we don't travel to various members of the family for a holiday. We almost always go to my Aunt and Uncle's in Ojai, Ca. for every holiday, and now that my parents are pretty much moved in and living at their new place up there in Ojai (The very first house my grandparents bought when they were first married, about 3 hours from us), we'll be going there to stay with them for many holidays from now on as well.

Today was one of those rare occasions when we were actually home for Easter. It's always a weird thing not being in a house full of cousins and cousin's cousins, and not helping out where we can with cooking, and cleanup.

Instead I did most of the cooking (which I don't mind at all).

My parents did come down from their new-to-them home for the week to visit, and work on their house down here to get ready to sell, and I tried to keep the menu (if you can call it that) as much like our usual Easter dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's as possible.

One dish that we always have had at EVERY major holiday gathering, for as long as I can remember, is what we simply call Chile Cheese Rice. And it's pretty much exactly that.

Simple, easy and delicious, this was one of my Grandpa George's favorite dishes, which was passed on from his cousin's wife, and is why we've carried on the tradition of having it for Christmas and Easter, and even some birthdays, for many years, and I'm sure many years to come.

And, as for the clean up part of today.... well... maybe the dish fairy will visit in the middle of the night? Or maybe the Easter Bunny will take pity on our poor kitchen, and come back?

Or, maybe, just maybe, I can convince my husband to do a few dishes??

Though really, the first two ideas are more likely to happen than my husband doing dishes...

Chile Cheese Rice

16 Oz. Sour Cream (I sometimes add a little more, just because I feel like it)
2  4 Oz. Cans Fire Roasted Mild Green Chiles
Salt and Pepper
4 Cups Cooked Rice (white or brown work fine)
3-4 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Cheddar/Jack works fine too)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the sour cream and green chiles, and a little salt and pepper in a small-ish mixing bowl.

In a large covered casserole dish, layer 1/3 of the rice, 1/3 of the sour cream-chile mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with each layer two more times, making sure the cheese layer is last on top.

Bake covered for 20-25 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is bubbly, and maybe even starts to brown around the edges.

This serves at least 8-10 people. And it's great for potlucks as well.

It's that easy, and so yummy.

Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Kale

Don't mind my crappy counter tops...

I've been so busy with nurturing my newest geek-mom blog, I've hardly been here to post. It's been months! I'm so sorry for the neglect!

So, I'm not sure how many of you out there subscribe to the Food Network Magazine, but in our house, it's one of our favorites! We love the way the recipes are laid out and easy to find, not to mention actually do-able, unlike other cooking magazines (I'm lookin' at you Bon Appetit!).

This recipe is one I got from the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine, only I added to it, and put my own spin on things, like I usually do with recipes.

Of course, my four year old hardly tried it, since it didn't look like pizza or a hamburger.

My eight year old, however, really liked it, even though it had the dreaded "green stuff".... Kale!! She ate it all. Even though she's still complaining that I made her eat kale. Two. Hours. Later.

This recipe seems fancy, so you could serve it at a dinner party, but it's also easy enough to throw together, and would even be great for potlucks.

It's hearty, somewhat quick/easy, and pretty cheap (about $3/serving).

And gnocchi (pronounced nyo-key) is fun to say.

 

 

Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Kale

 

3-4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Strips Thick Cut Bacon, cut into 1/8-1/4 inch bits

1/2 Onion, diced

3/4 Bag Pre-Washed, Pre-Cut Kale (I get mine at Trader Joe's, but Costco sells it too. Or about 4-5 cups hand chopped kale)

2 Packages Potato Gnocchi

2 Cup. Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half (Plus a drizzle of Olive Oil for roasting)

3/4 cup Fresh Grated Parmesan-Romano Cheese

1/3 Cup Fat Free Half and Half

Salt and Pepper

 

Preheat your oven to 425. Toss your cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper. Roast for about 10-12 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and starting to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. (You don't have to roast the tomatoes if you don't have time, or just don't feel like it. It just adds to the flavor of the dish when they're roasted. If you choose not to, just add the halved tomatoes right before the gnocchi to make sure they cook through.)

 

At the same time the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil, like you would for noodles. When it comes to a boil, add the gnocchi. When they float to the surface, cook them for another 4-5 minutes. The package will have different directions, but they never come out done enough for us, so I always cook them a tad longer. but if you like 'em firmer, cook according to the directions.

 

While those things are going (there's a bit of multi-tasking going on here, I know... but I believe in you!), you can heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is well browned and crispy.

 

Add the onions and cook then until they're tender and translucent.

 

Add the chopped kale, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is completely wilted and soft.

 

Stir in the roasted cherry tomatoes.

 

The gnocchi should be done now. Carefully scoop it out of the pot with a spider (The cooking tool. Not the arachnid.) or a slotted spoon. Add about 3/4 cup of the gnocchi water (this sounds odd, but trust me. It makes for a great sauce base.).

 

Stir it together.

 

Add the Parmesan-Romano cheese and the half and half, and more salt and pepper if needed. Heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes more.

 

Serve with more Parmesan-Romano, and maybe even a little crushed red pepper flake if you want to spice it up, sprinkled on top.

 

This makes about 6 hearty servings.

 

Enjoy.



'Cause Who Doesn't Like Their Veggies Hidden In Cheese?!

This one's an new twist on the classic Spinach Artichoke Dip, and who doesn't love that stuff?!

I'm totally that mom who sneaks vegetables into my kids (and husband's) food, usually without any of them knowing, and this is no exception. It's spinach, artichokes, zucchini and mushrooms (and sometimes kale and tomatoes!) hidden in gooey, yummers cheese.

I usually make mine is a 9x13 baking dish, but you could easily put it into a couple of bread bowls (or make individual ones with pretzel rolls.... gasp!!)

Leftovers are also fantastic as a spread for a turkey BLT sandwich, or on baked potatoes!

Oh man, now I'm hungry!

Hot Veggie Dip

1 Small Onion, diced small

4 Cloves Garlic, pressed

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. each Salt and Pepper (more or less to taste)

1 Medium-Large Zucchini, diced

1 8oz. pkg. Mushrooms, diced

1 10oz. pkg. Frozen Spinach, defrosted and WELL drained ( when it's defrosted, I put it all in a tea
towel, and squeeze it to death)

1 Can Artichoke Hearts in Water, well drained and chopped

1-2 cups Fat Free Half and Half

1-2 pkgs. Cream Cheese

2 cups Shredded Jack Cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1 Roma Tomato, diced small

In a large pot/Dutch oven, saute the onions with the salt and pepper. When they are soft and translucent and on the verge of caramelizing, add the garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms. After these veggies are tender and the water has cooked out of them and reduced, add the drained spinach, artichokes, half and half, cream cheese, jack cheese, and 2/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and well combined. Spread evenly in a 9x13 baking dish, and top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until top is melted and browned a bit.

Top with the diced tomato.

Serve with french bread or pita chips.

Enjoy!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't love Mac and Cheese?! Seriously, it's so good.

When I was pregnant with my son, I actually craved the Kraft boxed kind, with it's funky orange powder sauce mix...

When my hormones are somewhat normal, I go for the homemade kind.

This is a recipe I came up with right after my hubs and I got married. It's so simple, an yet it's probably the recipe people ask me for the most.

It's very versatile. You can use regular Cheddar-Jack mix, Pepper Jack for a little kick, or you can go all out and use cheese from the fancy cheese section... it's ALL good!

Sometimes, when I'm lazy (OK... that's pretty much all the time...) I just get one of those rotisserie chickens from Costco and add the meat to this, as well as some frozen veggies (I add them to the pasta while it's boiling) and then dinner is done, and I don't have to worry about preparing anything else.

Laziness or genius... you decide!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

16 oz macaroni (shells or elbow) cooked

1- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (You can sub and cheese you like here...)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2  8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

4 Tbsp butter melted

1/2 - 3/4 cup milk or fat free half and half (To make it easier to stir and keep the moisture in)

Dash of salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs or crushed potato chips


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the butter and the cream cheese together in a microwave, and stir until pretty much combined.

In a large mixing bowl combine cooked macaroni, ricotta, garlic and onion powders, 2 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese and butter mixture, milk., salt and pepper (you can add he chicken here too, if your going for a casserole type of dish). Pour into a 9x13 baking pan or casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until topping is browned and crispy. Serve with your favorite veggies and enjoy!

Keepin' It Simple (Caprese Pasta)

Tonight's dinner was about as simple as simple can be. It only took about as much time as it takes for water to boil and pasta to cook, and it was good!

After being a bum most of the day, I realized at about 5:45pm that I hadn't done any of the dishes from the day before... it happens. Frequently even. So when I started cooking at 6:25 I figured we'd be eating at 7:30. But nope, this recipe was prepped, cooked and eaten well before 7:30 rolled around.

It's food like this that *almost* makes me think I could handle being a vegetarian... but then I think about bacon. Which would be good in this. What isn't bacon good in?!

I love keeping it simple. Sometimes, that's just the best!

Caprese Pasta
1 Pkg. Angel Hair Pasta
6 Tbsp. Butter
4-5 Cloves Garlic, pressed
5 Roma Tomatoes, diced
10-12 Large Fresh Basil Leaves (Stacked on top of each other, rolled like a cigar, and thinly sliced cross-wise)
A couple handfuls of Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella (I used the mini balls)
Salt and Pepper, and a drizzle of Olive Oil

Cook the pasta... While it's cooking, dice/chop, the tomatoes and basil, and melt butter in a skillet and add the garlic to cook it (but watch it, as garlic browns very quick).

Drain the pasta (never rinse it!) and put it back in it pot. Add the salt and pepper, tomatoes, and basil. Then pour the butter garlic mixture over it, and add your Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil, mix,  and add the mozzarella last, so it stays in it's cute little ball shapes without melting too much...

And that's it. See... simple.

Tater Tot Casserole!

Straight from school cafeterias in the 1960's, aka Lunch Lady Land, I bring you a super easy, probably not super healthy (Cream of Mushroom Soup is involved... need I say more?!) recipe for Tater Tot Casserole!

Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb. Ground beef or turkey
Seasoning for the meat (I like onion, garlic, seasoning salt, pepper. and that good ol' 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can of green beans, drained (you can sub other veggies here. Peas and corn work... I just hate them!)
32oz bag of frozen Tater Tots
Cheese... probably 1 1/2- 2 cups... I never measure...

Preheat your oven to 375.
Put an even layer of frozen tots in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Cook meat with seasoning until it's done.
Add the mushroom soup and green beans to the meat. Pour that over the tots in the pan. Add the rest of the tots to the top of the meat mixture, and top with cheese.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook 15 more minutes, until it starts to brown.

**This Picture is terrible... sorry!