Broccoli Cheese Soup

My good friend Lisa gave me this recipe, which is also found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broccoli-cheese-soup/. 

This is a nice warm winter soup, but obviously you can eat it anytime you want.  I made it a lot when I first got the recipe.

This is a great way to get kids to eat broccoli, and like it.  I love how smooth this soup is and how  rich in flavor it is.  I added shredded chicken to mine to bulk it up.  The benefit is it makes so much that it lasts for several meals which is less work for me.


Prep Time: 10 mins 
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli

4 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1 (1 lb) loaf processed cheese, cubed

2 cups milk

1 TBSP garlic powder

2/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

Directions:

MELT butter over medium heat.   Saute onion in butter until softened.  Stir in broccoli, and pour in chicken broth.   Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

REDUCE heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted.   Mix in milk and garlic powder.

STIR cornstarch into water until dissolved.   Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens.

Gina's Tips: This recipe is great for making ahead of time.  It can be cooked in the morning or early afternoon and simmer on the stove until lunch or dinner time.  You can serve it as soon as the soup thickens but I like it better when it simmers for at least 30 minutes to get a richer flavor.  For the broccoli, I steam mine, chop it up, and then add it to the soup.  I usually don't care for the likes of Velveeta style processed cheese so I would like to try shredded cheddar cheese.  Until then this tastes delicious.

Creamy Chicken Pomodoro

I found this recipe on the Kraft foods site looking for a simple pasta for dinner.  I love the kick the red pepper flakes give this dish.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-pomodoro-121461.aspx
  
Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil, divided

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

4 oz Cream Cheese, cubed

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 TBSP Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 TBSP chopped fresh basil

Directions:

HEAT 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.  Transfer to plate.

ADD remaining oil to skillet.  Stir in garlic and red pepper; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended. Return chicken to skillet along with any meat juices; cover. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is done (165ºF). Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package.

SPRINKLE chicken with cheeses and basil.  Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 2 to 3 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.  Serve over drained pasta. 

Gina's Tips: The Kraft site says it serves 6 but it's more like 8 or more.  Also then prep time was closer to 15 mins and not 30 mins.

Poor Neglected Blog

How pathetic it is to see my sad blog sitting here untouched for so long.  I have made so many different food recipes too.  I gave up for a while with this blog because I had a VERY DISCONTENT baby for about a year.  I went on a reading binge instead because that was something he let me do since I could hold him at the same time.  I hope I can post a lot of recipes soon to spruce up this neglected food blog.  Hopefully those of you who were interested in the food I posted here will still check on here once in a while and see that I am still cooking...and EATING!