Poor Man's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ever have Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup?  Let me stop right here and say that this is in NO way a comparison to the real deal although there are copy cat recipes out there.  I just had a craving for it and couldn't bring myself to spend the money.

Poor Man's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Here's what you'll need:

Birds Eye Steamfresh Chicken Flavored Rice (Chef's Favorite Lightly Seasoned)
Can of Cream of Broccoli Soup *
Milk (per directions on the can of soup)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese *
Rolls (Bolillios)

1. Steam your bag of rice in the microwave according to the directions.  Meanwhile, heat your soup and milk on the stove.  (I also added some seasonings like thyme and garlic to flavor the canned soup.)

2.  Cut the top off of your rolls (bread bowl ~ ours were rather oblong) by cutting around the top at an angle toward the center.  Remove the top and pull out the excess bread to make a bowl for the soup.  Serve bread along side soup.

3.  Once rice is heated, add rice and desired amount of cheese to the pot of soup.  Serve warm in bread bowls. Garnish with more cheese!

* I originally bought the Cheesy Broccoli Soup, but it tastes like plastic. Eck!  I would much rather get a little more broccoli in the Cream of Broccoli Soup and add my own cheese and let it melt in. I had the rice in the freezer, bought the soup for $1.44 and the rolls for $1.68 at Walmart.  This would make six soup bowls and feed a family for about $5.00!

Image taken from bing.com.

Cheesy Corn Chowder

I've kinda stolen this recipe.  My mother-in-law asked for the recipe after tasting this chowder at a gathering of friends.  My MIL made it last week.  I LOVED it and wanted to share it with all of you!  Oh, and PS:  IT MAKES A LOT!

Cheesy Corn Chowder

1 lb bacon, cut small
6 c chopped onions
1/2 c flour
salt and pepper, to taste
12 c chicken broth (3 qts)
6 c cubed potatoes (or more)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 lb American cheese

In a LARGE soup pot, brown bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and add onions -- cook about 10 minutes, stir until clear and slightly brown.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook for several minutes, stirring to make a roux.  Add chickent broth slowly, stirring to blend.  Add potatoes and corn.  Cook 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Stir in cheese a few slices at a time to melt.

ENJOY!

* I made this chowder Thursday.  I cut the onions in half (still lots of flavor).  I cut back to 3/4 lb of cheese (at $5.99/lb I just couldn't put in a whole pound).  Albeit my company didn't have lunch, but everyone ate at least two bowls and their teenage son ate four bowls.  I'd say it was a big hit!  PS:  We season with Lawry's and Mrs. Dash instead of salt and pepper.  Mmm, mm!

Baked Potato Soup

My husband's and my idea of potato soup greatly differ. In efforts to find a middle ground, I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I think we've found a compromise -- I had to make more the next day he like it so much.

Baked Potato Soup

3 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Note: I didn't use basil or hot sauce because we don't care for those flavors, but I did add some chives in place of the basil. I also used precooked bacon and used a little oil to saute the onion and garlic. Pretty sure I upped the amount of potatoes and it was still "soupy" enough.