Cheddary Goodness

 BROCCOLI- CHEDDAR SOUP

(and garlic cheddar biscuits)

My husband brought this book home a few years ago from Lowes and I haven't made much from it. No particular reason; it just slipped my mind. Anyways, a few days ago I pulled this little treasure out and found today's recipes. 

PANERA BREAD'S BROCCOLI-CHEDDAR SOUP

Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, chopped

5 tablespoons butter, divided, melted

1/4 c flour

2 c half and half

2 c chicken broth

8 oz broccoli, coarsely chopped

1 c shredded carrots

Salt and pepper to taste

2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside. 

2. Using a wire whisk, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter and the flour in a large pot over medium heat. Cook. Stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes. 

3. Slowly add the half-and-half; continue stirring. Add the chicken broth, whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes. 

4. Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. 

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

6. By now the soup should be thickened. Pour, in batches, into a blender and purée (don't purée too much, though. You want some chunky pieces left over).

7. Return to pot and place over low heat. Add the grated cheese and stir well until blended. Stir in the nutmeg. 

The Verdict

  Other than cutting back on the carrots just a tad bit, because of an overpowering carrot taste, we had no complaints about this recipe. It was really yummy and was actually really close to Panera's.  

RED LOBSTER'S GARLIC CHEDDAR BISCUITS

This recipe is also from the cookbook above, 

but I'm putting alternative directions, from a friend)

in parenthesis which are the ones that I followed. 

Ingredients

2 c biscuit mix

1/2 c shredded mild cheddar cheese (I used 1 c of cheese instead)

2/3 c milk

4 Tablespoons butter

1/4-1/2 garlic powder

Parsley flakes, for sprinkling 

(1/4 garlic salt (optional))

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F (alternative directions: I baked at 425 for a longer time because the biscuits were pretty thick) 

2. Stir together the biscuit mix, cheese, and milk (alternative directions: mix in garlic powder here, too) until a soft dough forms. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds. 

3. Spoon into a greased cookie sheet (I just used a nonstick cookie sheet).  Smooth down  the tops to prevent hard points from forming. 

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes (12-15 min if following alternative directions) until the tops are brown. 

5.  While the biscuits are baking, melt the butter in a pan and stir in the garlic powder (if following alternative directions, you have already mixed the garlic powder into the dough, so you will stir in the garlic salt here instead). 

6. Once the biscuits are done, brush the butter on the tops, sprinkle with the parsley flakes, and serve hot (If following alternative directions, after putting butter mixture & parsley on biscuits, put back in the oven for 5 minutes).

Makes 10-12 biscuits, depending on size. 

The Verdict

  These were so very yummy. We will definitely be having them again. If you are going to eat this combination, though, we recommend taking a fiber supplement for dessert. :)