Amazing, Creamy, Tasty Broccoli Chedder Soup

I couldn't just call this "Broccoli Soup".  That would not begin to describe the creamy tastiness of this dish. I used to have a favorite broccoli soup. Used to. Now, it's this one.

I found this recipe on Vintage Mixer. It's from a local cooking school. I used WHITE Cheddar and fresh broccoli. Amazing.

Amazing, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Vintage Mixer from The Viking Cooking School

3 TB unsalted butter, plus 2 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas freshly ground black pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teas minced garlic
1/2 teas each chopped fresh thyme and rosemary leaves  (I used dried)
3 TB all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock or canned, low- sodium chicken broth
1 (16-oz) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated  (I used fresh)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded White Cheddar Cheese

In a medium pot, melt the 3 TB butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand- held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)

Add the cream and bring to light simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 TB cold butter, stirring to blend.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.

Enjoy! 



 

Potato Cheese Sticks and Mashed Potatoes

 

It's time for another Secret Recipe! The Secret Recipe Club is a group of bloggers that secretly browse another member's blog and cook one of their recipes.  We can change the recipe if we want, but we can't tell the recipe owner that we're cooking their recipe until the day of the reveal.

This month I was assigned "Enriching Your Kid".  Shirley is a clinical physiologist, and focuses on making food that is both healthy for kids, and that they will actually eat! What a challenge! 

The recipe I picked this month are Mozzarella Cheese Cutlets. I bought mozzarella for this recipe... I swear I did... but it had disappeared when I went to make it! I did have some wonderful Smoked Habernero White Cheddar from Beehive Cheese, so I used that.  I loved the results of using this cheese. It added spice and dimension to the potato sticks. 

I actually ended up only frying a few sticks, as we tasted the "mash" and decided that we liked it that way better. Either way is good, and I'll include both recipes here.

Potato Cheese Sticks

adapted from Enriching Your Kid

1/4 cup Smoked Habernero White Cheddar (or Mozzarella), diced fine, or grated

2 large potatoes

1/2 teas ground pepper

1/2 teas oregano

1 teas cumin

1/4 teas chili powder  (these are not spicy, promise!)

2 Tb chopped fresh coriander or cilantro

salt to taste

breadcrumbs or panko to coat

Oil for frying  OR 

2 Tb butter for mashed potatoes and 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Wash the potatoes, and poke the skin with a fork. Microwave at 5 minute intervals until soft.  Let cool until you can handle them; peel; and chop finely.  

Mix in the rest of the ingredients (except for Panko) and mix well.  I used my pastry cutter to mix it all together. 

Scoop a spoonful of the potato mixture and shape into a rectangle or circular pattie. Dip in the Panko to coat.

Heat oil until hot.  Drop potato sticks into oil, flipping once, until browned.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Eat hot! 

Mashed Potatoes

Cook the potatoes and add other ingredients as outlined above. (I do not include Panko in the mashed version!)  Add butter and milk, and mix, or beat, potatoes until they are light and fluffy. 

Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes from the fabulous participants of The Secret Recipe Club!