Dinner tonight was soup and sandwiches. It’s a simple time of year!
Sandwiches were grilled ham and cheese, to which I also added some mustard, mango chutney and thinly sliced apples.
Soup was broccoli and cheddar soup from Desperation Dinners. A similar version is here, although in the book there is also some Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese and sour cream. I just used half a bag of frozen broccoli I had stashed in the freezer, since I didn’t plan this week’s menus very well and cut the rest of the recipe in half.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 pound a few cups? of frozen chopped broccoli
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- a bit of grated Parmesan
- a bit of sour cream a few spoonfuls
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil and saute the onion a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and turn down the heat to a simmer and cook 8 minutes, stirring now and then. If you want smooth soup, like we like, use an immersion blender to blend it up.
- Stir in the cheese and sour cream and warm through. Do NOT a boil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
On Sunday we did our gingerbread house decorating party.5 college girls, 2 high school girls, my oldest friend who started this tradition nearly 15 years ago and my niece and her husband. It’s a “bring your own house” party. We supply lots of candy and icing..and lunch. I made a meat sauce the night before as well as a vegetable soup. Heated both up and cooked up some fresh pasta.
Everyone gets so creative! It’s quite fun. My eldest had baked her own gingerbread houses from a pattern over Thanksgiving. The rest of used kits this year. She put us to shame of course.
I do have a press. I used to do that with the cast iron pan and it IS a pain. I also have used a George Foreman grill but it doesn’t have the weight either–or the right ridges. I don’t know that I’d buy the one I have again though…. the plates aren’t removable so it’s a pain to clean. I later thought I should have tried the old waffle iron. The plates are reversible and I remember my mom making grilled cheese sandwiches on it.
Mmm. The soup recipe looks divine.
Question- Do you have a pannini press or do you use another method for grilling them. I have a flat grill pan and place a cast iron pan weighted down with a couple of heavy cans on top of the sandwich but it’s a pain in the fanny to flip them.