Not my usual post, but I’ve been spending more time cooking lately and thought I would share a recipe that I seem to always fall back on when I just want something in the refrigerator to heat and eat. I can detail more of a formal recipe if you need, but this one is pretty forgiving, so adjust as suits your palette.
Approximate ingredients:
about 1″ sliced off the end of a pound of bacon
3 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of onion
2 cups of celery
2 cups of carrots
1/4 cup of flour
48 oz of chicken broth (I have used beef when I was out)
3+ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
3 – 5 cups of 1/2 and 1/2
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
I slice the bacon into small pieces and fry in the pot until tender and cooked through, retaining the fat. When they are done to my taste, I add 3 tablespoons of butter and melt. I chop the onion, celery and carrots to a pretty fine chop, but this is to your liking(I use a Ninja food chopper). Add these to the melted butter and bacon, over medium heat. Cook until tender, about 5 – 6 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir in well, then cook for about 3 – 4 minutes to coat the vegetables.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium to high heat, stirring constantly.
Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to thicken slightly.
Bring the heat back to medium. Add the mustard and cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Do not boil or the cheese will separate. Add the 1/2 and 1/2 and let the temperature come back to your desired level and the soup is ready to eat. I put the leftovers in serving size bowls and refrigerate or freeze to heat for meals later.
Gray Poet 