On a frosty winter day, an entire dinner themed "Comfort foods" sounds pretty good! It was time for our monthly 'family dinner' with friends, and a comfort food was your ticket in the door.  After debating over several different soups, I decided to try broccoli cheddar.  I got the seal of approval at dinner that it was blog-able, so here it is! 
    Although I have been a super lazy blogger lately, I have been cooking! The urge to share it has returned!
    

     I originally got the recipe off of the food network.  Here is the link to it.  After reading several of the reviews and doing some taste testing I changed quite a few things.  So below if my version. I was cooking for a large group.  I would say that it serves 8-12 depending on whether you are eating it as a main course, or a starter. 

Notes:
    I used my food processor and grated all the vegetable except the broccoli. I then gave it a little rinse and used it to grate the cheese.   This made it really quick and easy! 

The original recipe calls for the soup to be pureed, however I enjoyed having some variance in texture.  So grate everything small instead of chopping and avoid the pureeing. 

The broccoli is kind of the star of the show, and thus should not be grated.  I chopped half of it very fine to enhance the flavor of the soup, and left some of it a bit bigger to give a chunkier texture to the soup.  

*If you decided not to use bread bowls, I think some cubed potato would be another yummy and nutritious addition. 

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. 
Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. 
Add the chicken broth, and bay leaves,  then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.

Add the broccoli, carrots, and celery to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. 

Gradually mix the cheese into the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.
Lastly, enjoy the warm richness of soup on a cold day, an seen above!

    In St. Maartin there is a great restaurant that serves the most amazing pasta fargioli.  I think we went there three times in a week and all six of the people we were with ordered this delicious dish.  In case you are not familiar with this, is it a tomato based soup with a rich broth, white cannellini beans, and small pasta.  When I had it in the restaurant I thought it was just a basic tomato broth, but it has a very rich flavor.  Upon making it I realized that there are tons of vegetables tat you chop small, and they cook into the broth. Try and use fresh vegetables where you can, or even produce from your own garden! This is why it has such a good flavor!  
   Anyways,  at work the other day my husband emailed me the recipe and asked if I could make it for dinner.  I love that! That means I don't have to come up with a brilliant idea for dinner, I just have to cook it, which I never mind! It is a Rachel Ray recipe from her website.  There are only two changes I could suggest.  One is to add a little but of chard from the garden, and the second is to use the whole can of beans without draining the juice.  We felt like it could have a bit more bean flavor.  Other than that it was rich and delicious and I will definitely make it again! 

Directions:
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. 

Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.
   My husband was more into the chunky food than the broth.  So here is his bowl for reference.  You have a cold rainy few days coming up.  This is the perfect way to break the chill!

SERVES 6; Calories: 365; Total Fat 10 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 18 grams; Total carbohydrates: 50 grams; Sugar: 8 grams Fiber 9 grams; Cholesterol: 13 milligrams; Sodium: 1,101 milligrams

    This chili is spicy and rich, and is great to eat in front of a football game.  It also warms you up on a cold winter night! 
    Although I am usually a proponent of fresh ingredients, this has canned beans and tomato sauce.  It just makes it so easy!    
     The nice thing about this is the preparation time and the cooking time happen simultaneously, so if you're in a hurry you can really have this on the table in about 30-40 minutes. Follow one directions and while that is cooking move onto the next! You will end up with a pot of good stuff! 

(If you want to make this ahead of time, you could make it in the crock pot.  Dump everything in and cook it on low for several hours)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
7 pieces of bacon (turkey bacon works if you're watchin' the waist line!)
15 oz can of  chili beans
15 oz can of red kidney beans
15 oz can of  pinto beans
29 oz can of tomato sauce
1 cup corn
3 cloves garlic 
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Toppings:
Half a block of yellow cheddar cheese
1 Jalapeno

Bread on the Side
1 loaf of fresh fresh bread 
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic

Directions:
1. Heat a pan to medium heat.  Slice bacon and add it to the pan.
2. While that is cooking chop the onion and add to the bacon.
3. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and add.  Cook for about 3 minutes. 

4.  Add the beef and turn the heat to high.  Break the meat up into small chunks.  Leave it for about 1 minute so it browns, then mix it.  Continue to do this for about five minutes until the meat browns and it starts smelling delicious!  

5.  Drain the cans of beans.  Add in the tomato sauce and all the beans. Turn the heat to low.

6. Sprinkle in all the spices and mix.  If you don't like food spicy reduce the cayenne pepper and chili powder by 1/2 teaspoon each.   Simmer everything for about 15 minutes.  You can eat at this point or continue to cook it for up to 45 minutes or until you are ready to eat!  All the flavors will cook in a bit and it will thicken. 

7.  While this is cooking slice the jalapeno and grate the cheese.  

8.  If you want to make garlic bread chop 1 clove of garlic.  Melt it in a small dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. Slice the bread.  Baste the butter mixture over the slices.  Broil the bread with the butter side up.  Make sure to watch it! Bread broils very fast! 

9. Serve the chili, add the toppings and dig in!

    Ole! Tortilla Soup - a soup everyone can get on board with.  This is a simple recipe that packs a big punch.  It is a great vegetarian dinner choice!

Ingredients:
Serves 6
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
6 cups water
2 cubes vegetable bullion
1 15 oz can of black beans (drain the liquid)
1 1/2 cups corn
1 23 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup rice

Ingredients Continued
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 anaheim pepper (or the pepper of your choice)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 avocado
sour cream
3 flour tortillas
butter

Optional: Chicken thighs and chicken bullion (to substitute of vegetable)

   Heat a bit of butter in a dutch oven, or soup pot.  Chop the onion coarsely and sauté at medium heat.  While the onion cook, peel and chop three large cloves of garlic.  Add this to the pan.  If you want to include chicken in this recipe add it now and brown the sides.  Before adding water remove the chicken and chop it, then return it to the pot.  The chicken does not need to be completely cooked.  Continue to cook until the edges of the onion begin to brown.  
    Add in 6 cups of water and cubes of bullion.  Add in corn, black beans, and crushed tomatoes.  Bring this to a simmer and then reduce heat.  
     Add in rice.  Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin, salt, and oregano.  Finely chop the anaheim pepper and seeds and add to the soup.  Chop and add a handful of cilantro leaves, discard the stems.  Place a lid on the soup and cook for 20 minutes.  
    

While soup is simmering prepare the toppings.  Chop another handful of cilantro leaves and discard the stems.  Slice 1 avocado in half, remove the seed.  While still in the skin make thin slices in the avocado.  Chop three tortillas into thin strips.  Add a bit of butter to a sauce pan and brown the tortillas.  
     Serve soup into bowls.  Sprinkle tortilla strips on the soup.  Spread a few slices of avocado, then add a dollop of sour cream.  Lastly sprinkle the cilantro on top! Enjoy the warm cozy feeling you'll get when eating and the wonderful smell in your house!