Kristen's Recipes

½ cup diced bacon

1 T. butter

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

¾ cup chopped green pepper

3 cups chicken stock

1 ½ cups beer

3 ½ cups milk

1 pound of sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese, shredded

²⁄ ³ cup flour

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for garnish

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Sauté the bacon in the butter until crisp and brown. Remove bacon and let it drain on paper towels. Add the vegetables to the bacon drippings and cook, stirring until the onion is transparent. Add the chicken stock and the beer to the pot and bring to boiling. Then lower the heat to simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender. In a separate pan scald the milk over medium heat. Combine the cheese and flour in a bowl and toss to combine. When the milk is hot, add the cheese-flour mixture. Cook and stir until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens. Add the cheese mixture to the soup pot along with the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat to serving temperature. Garnish with the reserved bacon and parsley.

1 C. green onions (chopped and tops and bottoms separated)

2 (10 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 lb. Colby cheese

1-1 1/2 lb. American cheese or cheddar cheese

1 C. half-and-half

2 T. flour

3 T. butter

1 T. fresh ground pepper

1-2 T. cornstarch (to thicken)

1/2 C. water

1 T. oil

Steam Broccoli by either putting in Microwave safe dish with lid and a small amount of water, or on stove in a Covered sauce pan and small amount of water. Cook just until soft. Oil skillet 1/8″ in bottom. Heat, then add 3 TBS Butter. Add 2 T. Flour, chopped Green onion bottoms and ground Pepper. Cook until Yellow in color, just enough so the flour is not raw. Add 2 Cans of Chicken Broth. Stir quickly, using whisk if you have one. Add Steamed Broccoli and any pan liquids. Add Green Onion tops, and Simmer 15-20 minutes on Med heat. This will slightly reduce liquid and impart flavors. Reduce heat. Add Colby and American Cheeses. Cook on low 1 minute. Add 1 C. Half and Half slowly, so it will not clump. Here you must watch temperature, so keep it on low. Cook 10 minutes. Add Cornstarch to water and stir. Pour in 1/2 of cornstarch Mixture and stir. Then pour in 2nd half of Mixture and stir. Turn heat off and stir until thick.

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1 T. butter

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, sliced

½ lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (around 1/2 inch)

1 medium-small carrot, cut into small cubes

1 T. maple syrup

5 pears – I used bartlett – peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme

½ tsp. chopped fresh sage

¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

3 C. mildly flavored vegetable or chicken broth

½ C. creme fraiche

Crumbled blue cheese for serving

salt and ground white pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, fry the pancetta bits until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Pour off all but one T. of the fat in the pot (you don’t want to use all of it because then it will overpower the pear), and add in the butter. Heat over medium until foaming. Then, stir in the onion, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft. You basically want the onion to sweat and soften without browning. Stir in the garlic, potato, and carrot, cover again. Turn the heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes. Then, add in the maple syrup, pear, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, thyme, sage and nutmeg. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes to get the pear all coated with the syrup and other flavors. Add in the broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes and pears are soft, about 15 minutes. Blend in batches until smooth. Then return the blended soup to the pot and stir in the crème fraîche. Taste and add salt and white pepper to taste. Serve with the pancetta bits and blue cheese for sprinkling on top.

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1 pound thin asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 small sweet onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped

4 slices Pepperidge Farm® Texas Toast Parmesan

Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the asparagus, tomatoes, onion and garlic into a 17 x 11-inch roasting pan. Pour the oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Bake for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Heat the broth in a 4-quart saucepan over high heat to a boil. Add the vegetables and shrimp. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Season to taste. Prepare the toast slices according to the package directions. Cut the toasts into bite-size pieces. Divide the soup mixture among 4 serving bowls and top with the toast pieces.