Vegetable Cheese Chowder

• I made this soup a couple of nights ago and it was really delicious!  Think Broccoli Cheese Soup meets Potato Soup and falls in love and has a baby they name Corn Chowder and they all live together as one big happy family! 
• 
  
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 cups chopped carrots (about 4)
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes, cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick (2 large)
• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 2 heads)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can corn
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk (preferably 1% or 2%)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
• 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (1 oz)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of the butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and corn and cook 5 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.

• Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk (whisk well until no lumps remain). Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to gently boil and thicken, stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat and once all veggies are tender pour into the soup and stir. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.

Pizza Roll-ups

So you probably don't need an actual recipe for this dish but I thought I'd put it on here so I don't forget to do it again someday.  My 10 year old son, Zac, was watching me scroll through Pinterest one day and begged me to make these pizza roll ups with him for our Mom and Me time (I spend about a half hour of individual time with each of my 4 kids on Sunday afternoons and the kids are always making big plans for "our time" together!) We bought the jumbo crescent rolls, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese sticks. The jumbo rolls will form a triangle when pulled apart and you just put half a cheese stick at the widest side of the triangle, pepperoni slices on the rest of the triangle and roll it up and seal the ends. We sprinkled a little garlic salt on top too. Bake for the amount of time suggested on the roll container and you have either appetizers or even a main dish.  Because we used the jumbo sized crescent rolls two Pizza Roll Ups plus a side salad was enough to fill everyone up.  I even sent leftovers in their lunch boxes the next day and that was a hit too!

Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole

• This is an easy casserole that I threw together last week.  Everyone really liked it, especially with some homemade salsa and chips. 

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• 2 cups dry Basmati rice
• 2 cans (10 oz each) Enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso)
• 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
• 1 cup white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 can (11 oz) corn kernel
• cilantro for garnish
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

 Directions: 

1. Cook the rice. I cooked it with 4 cups of water and ¼ cup of butter in my rice cooker.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
3. Mix the 2 cheeses together.
4. In a large bowl mix the shredded chicken with the enchilada sauce, refried beans and half of the cheese. Add rice, season with salt and pepper if needed, and mix well. Pour rice mixture into a large casserole dish. Top with corn then with remainder of cheese.
5. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and is bubbly.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm.