It's a Burgh Thing

Oh where to start...could it be the ever changing weather, the small town feel of the big city, the amazing sports teams, or the fact that it's the zombie capital of the world? Oh, wait now I remember, it's the fact that we put french fries on everything!!! In case you've never seen or tried a "Primanti Bros" sandwich, here's a little sneaky peek for ya!

Comfort Food Tuesday

Everyone is still feeling pretty icky around here, so Tuesday was designated soup and comfort food day.

I decided to make a cheesey veg soup served in bread bowls and some chicken.

I began by making my own veggie broth for the soup..2 cups of water with carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. These happened to be the veggies I had available.



In the soup kettle I started with the flour, cheese, milk and butter...nice and bubbly then added the veggies and stock.



For the bread bowls just thaw a loaf of frozen bread dough..roll into 8 balls...let rise an additional 30 min, brush with egg white and water and bake. After 15 min brush with additional wash and bake another 15 min. The egg wash makes the outside of the bowl crispy and keeps the soup from seeping through. When cooled cut center out and fill with the soup.



Also I wanted to get the kiddos to eat some protein so I baked 4 chicken breasts. I wanted to tie the cheesey theme in so I used crushed sour cream and cheddar potato chips mixed with bread crumbs for the coating. It was a crowd pleaser!

Friday Menu

Okay, so I wasn't feeling like cooking today and we ordered hoagies from a local shop...so it was cheese hoagie and fries...not starting this off with a very creative bang..but it is one of my favorite places to eat....and I couldn't resist.
So stick around it will get better!!

Soup For A Cool Autumn Day!

Nothing warms you up on a brisk fall afternoon like some homemade soup. The days are starting to cool down here in Western Pa, so it's time to heat up the kitchen. One of my favorite and most simple recipes is cheesey potato soup. This was one of my comfort foods growing up, and it still does the trick today.

One of the best parts of the recipe is that you can use less or more of each ingredient to your liking.

Peel and rinse potatoes. I used 16 small potatoes for this batch.



Cut into 1/2" thick slices, or cube if you prefer.



Cover with water, making as much as you will need for the broth. Add 1 stick of margarine and onions as you like. For this batch I added 3 small onions, chopped. Occasionally, depending on what's in the veggie crisper, I add diced carrots or celery. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt...and again any other spices that are to your tasting.



Let the mixture boil on medium for 30-45 minutes. To add a cheesy kick, float slices of American cheese on the top. I used 10 slices for a large pot. It is best to use American as it becomes smooth when melted. I've tried cheddar, mozzarella, provolone and they just seem to clump on the bottom. I add half the slices and let dissolve for about 10 min and stir in, then do the same for the second half of the slices.



Yum! I like the soup best served over refrigerator biscuits or fresh home-made bread!!