Soup and Sandwich

Soup and Sandwich, soup and sandwich go together like a horse and carriage. Anytime or weather, Soup and Sandwich go together! All these years later and we still have this song stuck in our head! If you're like me, you probably sing it everytime you open a can of Campbell's! Soup is our friend, comforting on a cold day or soothing after a hard one. If you don't have time to make homemade soup during the week, make it on Sunday afternoon and let it bubble away on the stove. Portion for lunches or put in a casserole for a busy day's supper later on that week! You won't hear any complaints....

Hot-Stuff Kielbasa-Cheese Soup
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 14 1/2 - ounce can chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
8 ounces fully cooked kielbasa (Polish sausage), sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 1/4 cups milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese and coarsely ground pepper (optional)

In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook onion and celery in hot butter or margarine until tender. Stir in flour, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Carefully stir in broth. Add potatoes, carrots, and kielbasa. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk. Heat and stir until mixture almost comes to a boil. Reduce heat. Add the 3 cups cheese and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with more cheese or pepper, if you like. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Salad Sandwich~So good and who doesn't buy a Rotisserie Chicken each week?
1 rotisserie chicken, the ones they sell at Walmart are about 2 1/2 lb.
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons pickle relish
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 slices bread
6 leaves lettuce
6 slices tomato

Remove skin and bones from the chicken, then tear or chop meat into bite size pieces (you can separate the white and dark meat and use only one for the chicken salad, if you do this use less mayo, celery and seasonings). Add mayo, celery, relish, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Spoon on bread and top with lettuce and tomato.

Bacon and Baked Potato Soup
2 6 - 8 - ounces baking potatoes (such as russet or Yukon gold)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups half-and-half, light cream or milk
1 1/4 cups shredded American cheese (5 ounces)
1 cup chicken broth
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup dairy sour cream

Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush; pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Peel potatoes, if desired. Chop potatoes; set aside. In a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Add half-and-half or milk all at once. Cook and stir for 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, and the broth; stir until cheese melts. Slightly mash potatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher. For the topping, reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon. Stir the remaining bacon and 1 tablespoon of the green onion into soup. Heat through. To serve, top each serving with reserved bacon, remaining 1/4 cup cheese, green onions and the sour cream. Makes 6 servings, about 1 cup each.

Smoked Turkey Panini
1/2-inch thick slices country Italian bread
1/2 cup refrigerated classic bruschetta topping
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 ounces sliced cooked peppered turkey breast
1 cup large spinach leaves
Olive oil

To assemble sandwiches, spread 4 bread slices with bruschetta topping and 4 slices with mayonnaise. On bruschetta slices layer turkey, and spinach; top with mayo slices. Lightly brush sandwiches with olive oil. Place sandwiches in hot skillet; weight with additional skillet or use Panini Press. Grill 2 minutes; turn if using pan and cook 2 minutes more or until golden and hot. Serves 4.

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