Abbey had her wisdom pulled on Tuesday. Four extractions total. If you have been there, you know it’s not fun. Last Monday I made a double batch of a creamy bacon potato soup to prep for it. That turned out pretty darn good. Then yesterday I had major dental work done as well. Just as the dentist finished with one filling, and prepped for a new crown, she noticed a problem with an old crown right next to the other two. She pulled that crown, and as she started to do the prep for a replacement crown, I quickly realized that the Novocain was wearing off. Another shot (or two) later, and she was back it. She felt really bad about all the shots and drilling, and this morning, I just felt pretty bad.
So with my sore mouth, and Abbey ready for something with a little more substance than the potato soup, I had visions of mac and cheese. Not the Kraft from a box kind, but something a little closer to homemade. Lacking the ingredients for my awesome Prosciutto & Bacon version, I decided to raid the pantry and see what I could come up with. I had to get creative, but the end product was surprisingly good.
Slam Dunk Mac & Cheese
Serves 6
1 lb pasta (Rotini, shells, bowtie, or similar)
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cup milk (or sub 1 cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream) divided
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup grated gruyere cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
1 can (10 ¾ oz) Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese soup
1 can (10 ¾ oz) Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup
½ cup bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 F
Cook pasta to al dente firmness, drain and set aside.
In large pan over medium heat, melt butter and add 1 cup of milk, nutmeg, ground mustard, and cayenne. Stir until heated through, and add chicken stock and gruyere cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add both cans of soup and ½ cup of milk (or cream). Cook until soups are blended and heated through (or just starts to bubble), stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and combine with pasta, stirring until well combined. Place in coated casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.
Potato Soup
Two things to consider before you start.
- Do you want it all creamy and smooth, or with small chunks of potato.
- Do you have a submersible hand blender, or a counter top version?
The answers to these will determine how you start. Most recently I used 4 small golden potatoes along with 2 medium russet potatoes. I peeled the golden potatoes, and one of the russets (I like the look of a few chunks with the skin on). I boiled them in chicken stock in separate pans, cooking the leeks with the golden taters. I blended the golden potatoes, and then combined the mixture with the pan of russets. Add the milk and or cream and you are in business.
Lastly, if you are not a fan of cooking with leeks, try shallots. Nice flavor and not as strong as an onion or as much work as the leek. For a twist, add diced cooked ham or bacon (or both) to the mixture after it’s been blended, and cook for about 10 minutes.
Basic Creamy Potato Soup
Serves 6
2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, diced (rinsed well to remove grit, pale green and white parts only)
5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (see notes above)
1 quart chicken stock, divided in half
½ cup milk (or heavy cream)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the leeks, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tender or about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Boil the potatoes until tender and they just begin to fall apart, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer ½ the potatoes and stock to large mixing bowl if using handheld blender, or the pitcher of a full-size blender. Blend until the mixture has a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour back in to the pot with the remaining potatoes and stock. Add milk (or cream) and cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheese, chives, and/or bacon bits as desired.
