Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1-2 lbs. fresh or frozen broccoli
4 cups milk
1/2 cup flour + 1 Tbsp.
2 chicken bouillon cube or 2 Tbsp. granules
3 cups grated cheddar cheese (I use a little more than this)
1 pint half & half

1. Cook broccoli until tender.  Drain off some liquid and reserve it for later*.
2. In a medium pot, mix together flour with a little bit of milk to make a paste; once there are no clumps, add the remaining milk, bouillon cube and cheese until melted.
3. Add broccoli & stir until thick. 
4. Add half & half.

Optional: Puree some or all of the soup in a blender or with a hand-held blender to desired consistency.

If you want thicker soup, add more flour in the beginning.

*Add reserved liquid if soup is too thick.

Caesar Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 T. milk or half & half

If you aren’t pre-dressing your salad, you will need less dressing.

Cobb Salad

Dressing
3 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1-2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
2 heads hearts of romaine lettuce
4 oz baby spinach
1-1 1/2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
4 hard boiled eggs, diced, remove yolk from two
8 slices cooked bacon, sliced or crumbled
2 avocados, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
cheddar cheese, cubed

Broccoli and Mandarin Salad

Custard Dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp butter, softened

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and dry mustard. Combine vinegar and water. Stir into sugar mixture until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
2. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg and yolk; return all to pan, stirring constantly, bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
3. Gently stir in mayonnaise and butter. Cool to room temperature without stirring. Chill.

Salad
4 cups fresh 1-inch broccoli florets
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 medium red onion, sliced in really thin rings
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained (opt. cut in thirds)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Combine salad ingredients, pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Chicken Pasta Salad with Cashews & Cranberries

This is a fabulous pasta salad dish for a large group of people.  I made a single recipe of this and took it over for a dinner of 13 people and had to BEG them to all take some leftovers home.  It was a ton, but Oh So Yummy!

SALAD:
1 lb Potpourri Pasta (or whatever you have on hand), cooked, drained & cooled
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
5 stalks celery, sliced thin
15 oz. water chestnuts, drained & diced
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups red grapes cut in half
1 – 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits
15 oz. can Mandarin oranges
1 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken, cooked, cooled & diced

DRESSING:
12 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Combine salad ingredients. Top with dressing. & Fold together. Let chill in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to marry together. Serve and enjoy!