Soup! Soup! SOUP! Yes, ANOTHER Soup Recipe!

If you've been following this blog for a while, you've surely noticed that a LOT of the recipes I post are for SOUP.  I don't know why, but I'm just not much of a sandwich-for-lunch-type person.  I'd rather have good ol' SOUP - especially in the winter!

Well, DUH.

Here's what I made the other day.  I went through all my SOUP recipes and nothing called my name, so off to the fridge to see what was in there.  I found lots of leftover roast chicken, a gallon of homemade chicken broth, the remains of a bunch of celery, some matchstick-cut carrots, and a container of leftover corn.  There were a few potatoes and a couple of onions left in the bags I bought a few weeks ago.

So here's what I came up with!


Chicken and Corn Chowder

1/2 c butter
1/2 c matchstick carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c flour
4 c chicken broth, divided (heat 2 c to almost a boil)
2 1/2 c half-and-half
4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb frozen whole kernel sweet corn
1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken (boned and skinned), cubed
1/4 t nutmeg
1 t salt
1/2 t white pepper

In a 4-qt pan, melt the butter and saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until fragrant.  Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the hot broth slowly, still stirring constantly, until the flour is incorporated and there are no lumps.  

Stir in the reserved broth and half-and-half.  Heat to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.  Adjust the salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Amazing Eggnog French Toast (A Holiday Leftover Recipe)

That Man and I like to have eggnog for Christmas and New Year's.  YUM!  But we (well, I) tend to overbuy and we end up with too much eggnog to drink before its expiration date. 

What to do?

Eggnog is mainly milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, so I use it to make french toast.  That Man says it's the best he's ever had, and that's high praise indeed, especially from someone who usually tells me a dish is "not bad" when others would say "really good" or "great."

Here it is on the griddle.

Amazing Eggnog French Toast (8 slices)

1 1/2 cups eggnog
3 eggs
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 t vanilla
8 slices round-top bread (not what is packaged as "sandwich" bread)

Preheat griddle until a drop of water dances on it.  Whisk together the first four ingredients until foamy.  Dip each slice of bread into the eggnog mixture, covering both sides, and place on the griddle.  If there is any liquid left, pour it evenly over each slice on griddle.  They will be well soaked.  Turn slices after they have puffed up a little, are browned on the bottom, and can be easily turned with a spatula.  Cook on the other side until browned on the bottom and set.