A friend of mine makes a fabulous ham and cheese soup. It is rich, creamy and, well, decadent. I love it, put it’s not quick to make and full of fat. I’ve made a modified version that was ready in 30 minutes. I did cheat by purchasing a small jar of cheese sauce from the pasta aisle at the grocery store.
Ham and Cheese Soup
2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
2 carrots, chopped, small cubes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 pinch cayenne ( or red pepper flakes)
1 head cauliflower*, cubed
4-6 c. ham or chicken stock
1-1/2 c. fully-cooked ham, cubed
1 16-oz. jar of double cheddar cheese sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
I began by sautéing the onion, carrots, bay leaf, thyme and cayenne with olive oil in a medium-sized pot at medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. As always, season with a little salt and pepper while the vegetables sauté.
Add cauliflower, and cook about 3 more minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and then cook 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is fork-tender.
Stir in ham and cheese sauce, cooking cook until hot but not boiling.
Remove from heat and serve with a side salad and toasted bread.
*My friend uses a small head of shredded cabbage. I prefer cauliflower, however, fresh broccoli would be good instead.
As most of you know, I’m not a fan of wasting calories on dessert. I’d rather have cheese. However, with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, I think a cranberry dessert is worth the effort.
Cranberry Bars
2 cans whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/2 c. sugar
1 box yellow cake mix
1/3 c. flour
2 sticks butter, melted
1 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 c. chopped pecans
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, melted butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, eggs and ginger. Mix to combine. Reserve 1-1/2 cup. Spread the rest of the mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish prepared with cooking spray.
Combine cranberries with sugar and spread over the crust. Add pecans to the reserved crust mixture and then sprinkle evenly over the cranberry filling to create a topping.
Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350-degree oven until topping is light brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 30 minutes and cut into 24 bars.