Panera at Home

I love Panera. Unfortunately, the closest Panera is in Lafayette. One of my favorite soups from there is their broccoli cheddar soup. Yum! I was perusing one of my favorite websites and found this Panera Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, although I did add an extra ingredient. I HAD to try it out and see if it truly resembled the taste. Guess what? It DOES. I usually get the smoked turkey panini to go along with it. I know, creature of habit right here. We had gotten a panini press for a wedding gift, and I had yet to try it out. So, I used it tonight, and made a turkey panini. Score! A Panera meal, made right here in my home, and with my own ingredients, thus making it less expensive. :)

Here is the finished product:

(cool pic with the steam, huh? :) )

Recipe:

5 cups broccoli florets (if you have a little more or a little less that is fine)

6 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk or 1/2 & 1/2 <---I used milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

3 cups grated/shredded cheddar cheese

I added 1/2 cup of shredded carrots (I chopped them into even finer pieces)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Steam broccoli until tender, about six minutes. Chop finely. Set aside. In a large saucepan combine broth and milk. Slowly whisk in flour. Cook over med to med high heat, KEEP stirring. Cook until it starts to thicken but not too thick. Stir continuously otherwise the milk/flour will thicken at the bottom and form "clumps". Do it until it just starts to boil. Add chopped broccoli and carrots. Reduce heat to med low. Continue to cook about 5 minutes. Add cheese stir until cheese melts. Serve.

Delish! :)

YUM

Just thought I'd share a couple of yummy fall recipes, but you could have them anytime. :)

Easy Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie
(I tweeked it from the original recipe)

3 cups chopped cooked chicken (or you can use canned cooked chicken)
1 can of peas and carrots
1 1/2 cups of frozen diced potatoes, thawed (I used frozen southern hashbrowns which are diced potatoes)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COMBINE first 5 ingredients in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
UNROLL dough; place over chicken mixture.
BAKE 30-35 min. or until crust is golden brown.

(Original recipe came from Kraft foods)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

(Recipe courtesy of Everyday With Rachael Ray)

Delish. Enjoy! :)