FoodFriday . Kristina Knight
Fall Favorite: Wisconsin Cheese Soup
On October 22, 2018 by kristina
Kristina’s Wisconsin Cheese Soup
It’s still slightly green here on the NorthCoast, but fall definitely blew in over the weekend. It was blustery and grey and cloudy and there were little flakes of…not really snow, but also not rain. I don’t have a good word for it. What I do have? A favorite fall recipe that I’m so glad I dug out for the weekend. Knowing it would be blustery and cold, I knew it was going to be a soup kind of a weekend. So I headed to my trusty recipe binder and pulled out a favorite: Wisconsin Cheese Soup.
This is the perfect soup for a chilly day. It’s warm, it’s filling, it’s got all these tastes. It just makes you feel warm and cozy from the inside out. Here’s my recipe:
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup beer or water
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1-1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 cups (8 oz.) Sargento® Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Traditional Cut
- Garlic or herbed croutons (optional)
Directions:
Melt the butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. From here, you have two choices: continue on the cooktop or transfer to the crockpot. Cooktop Method: Stir in milk, beer, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Continue heating to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese until
Yum – perfect for a blustery, fall day!
melted. Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, serve with croutons or oyster crackers. The cooktop method takes about 30-45 minutes. The Crockpot Method: Once the flour and butter are cooked/combined, transfer them to the crockpot and turn it on low. Stir in milk and beer, keep stirring for maybe 2-3 minutes, just until the flour and butter are combined. This is what thickens the soup, after all. Next, add in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Give it a final stir and then cook for 4 hours. Serve with croutons or oyster crackers.
These methods taste the same; the difference is that I can do crockpot method in about five minutes and go on about my day, letting the crockpot do the heavy lifting. That’s a win my Kristina’s book! However you choose to do this recipe, I hope you enjoy!
FoodFriday . Kristina Knight
#FoodFriday: Vegetarian Enchilada Orzo
On September 28, 2018 by kristina
Kristina’s Vegetarian Enchilada Orzo
Last week was my annual writer’s retreat in Michigan – writing and brainstorming and laughing and eating and having a ball. I miss them already! And I miss the food. I made something new-is to me this year because we have a couple of vegan/vegetarian eaters in our group. And I can sometimes be persuaded to put away the chicken or beef. Not to worry, if you need chicken and beef in your life, I’ll tell you what to add at the end of this post. In the meantime, this recipe turned out so good – you could do it as a main dish (as we did) or even as a dip on those chilly football weekends coming up this fall.
Without further ado, Vegetarian Enchilada Orzo! The ingredients:
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (10-ounce) mild enchilada sauce
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained (Note: for both the tomatoes and green chiles, feel free to dice them yourself from the produce aisle…or if you’re cooking on the road like I was over the weekend, use the canned version)
• 1 can vegetable broth, as needed
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen (if you use canned, the taste will be the same just make sure you drain them)
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can Vegan refried beans
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin (optional)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
Directions:
If you have all day set your crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours, but if you only have the morning, set the crockpot to high and cook for 4 hours. In the crockpot, combine the corn, black and refried beans, chiles, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and spices. Stir and then add in the cream cheese and half the can of vegetable broth. Stir once more and then put the lid on and let the crockpot do it’s thing. About once each hour, stir again, making sure the cream cheese is melting and combining with the other ingredients. After 4 (or eight, if you have all day) give the ingredients one more stir and then add in the orzo pasta and cook for another 20-30 minutes. Once the pasta is ready, grab some bowls and serve, sprinkling the cheddar over the top to your taste.
*Recipe Notes: Total cook time is 4:30 and this recipe serves 6 people. You can substitute quinoa for the orzo if you like; for me that adds too much of a nutty flavor but I’ve heard from several people that it’s really good that way. Also, if green chiles are too spicy for you, simply leave them out or halve that part of the recipe. If you want to add meat, I suggest about 6 ounces of grilled chicken or steak, already cooked, and then either cubed or shredded and added to the mix.
FoodFriday . Kristina Knight
#FoodFriday: Grilling up Salsa
On August 31, 2018 by kristina
Photo by Nik MacMillan on Unsplash
One of our favorite things to do in the summer is grill. Heck, one of our favorite things to do year-round (hence the grill not only in the backyard but also in the garage) is grill. Burgers, chicken, brats, steaks, kabobs. You name the meat and we’ve probably grilled it. The last time we were in the Caribbean (Jamaica) part of our stop was a beach day with a barbecue – and they included a pineapple grilled salsa as part of the condiments for the burgers. OMG, y’all, it was the best.thing.ever. This weekend, we’re recreating that and I can’t wait. If you’re looking for something a little new to go with the same-old Labor Day barbecue try this recipe, I think you’ll like it!
Pineapple Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 fresh pineapple – peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- Tin foil
- cooking spray (I like Pam, use whatever you like)
- Pinch of ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat your grill to medium heat. Once prepped, spray your sheet of tin foil with cooking spray. Side note: you can grill the pineapple directly on the grill grate but I have a tendency to lose the pineapple *in* the grill when I do that. The tin foil keeps the pineapple from falling through and it doesn’t change the taste. If you’re a better griller than me, feel free to skip the tin foil and simply spray the grill grate with cooking spray and put the pineapple directly on it. You’ll cook the pineapple for about 7 minutes; you know it’s ready when it’s lightly brown and caramelized. Remove it from the grill and allow to cool. Use your food processor to chop and dice the sweet online, jalapeño, bell pepper, and garlic. I love my Ninja Master Prep for this step, makes it so simple! Combine all these ingredients, along with the cooled pineapple, lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper in a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour; this will allow the flavors to blend.
Top your burgers or chicken with this salsa or, heck, eat it right out of the bowl with some tortilla chips – you’re choice! Enjoy!
Do you have a favorite holiday grill recipe? Share in the comments!