Rainy Day Dinner -Cheesy Broccoli Bread Bowls

Cheesy Broccoli Bread Bowls

Its Monday and as promised here is another recipe! I haven't completely decided if every post will be a recipe or if some of them will be other things that are related to kitchen and cooking or household stuff. One post that I have had people request is more meals for toddlers and I am excited to do that! 

On this particular Monday the phrase April Showers is incredibly accurate. April 15th and its raining cats and dogs right now. I don't know what it is about the rain in Oregon but sometimes it can chill to the bone. Even though most of us are use to the Northwest and our persistent nearly non stop rain. Today by noon I knew we would want something warm and filling that didn't take half a day to prepare. I decided on Cheesy Broccoli Bread Bowls. 

I will include a recipe for the bread bowls as well! 

If there is one thing that I love its our weather and while sometimes I certainly do find myself wishing for more sunshine , rain can be just as please. However one thing that I love just as much as our weather is a good deal , with the rising prices of groceries is not always easy to shop and save money while making food last with two growing kids in the house. 

All together I spent $20 on this and will get 3 meals out of it which makes me one happy mama and cook. 

 The kids and I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow AND I can add the last of the leftovers (about 3 cups of soup) to 6 raw scrambled eggs tomorrow and make mini quiches for breakfasts it'll make around 12 mini quiches I just use pie crust put into the bottom of mini muffin tins 

   Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Instructions

3 cups broccoli florets 3-4 heads of broccoli I used 4

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 diced sweet onion
3 tbsp. butter
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1tbsp garlic powder
1/2tsp pepper
1/2tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1lb shredded cheese

Put the carrots, broccoli, onion and butter in a soup pot/ stock pan. Sauté over medium heat and cook until veggies are tender. I cut my broccoli so it has very little stock on it so it's all soft but tenderness and what parts you use are up to you .

Mix chicken stock ,milk and heavy cream in a bowl. Once veggies are done cooking add salt pepper and garlic powder then slowly stir in the cream milk stock mixture. Bring to a boil but not to fast and stir constantly the cream and milk can scorch and that will ruin your soup.

Reduce to a simmer ,mix you cornstarch and 2tbsp of cold water until you have a smooth liquid mixture pour into soup and simmer for 10 mins. The cornstarch makes it thicker if you want it to be thicker add another mixture of cornstarch but you won't have as much left over .

Remove lid and add 1 lb bag of shredded cheese I used cheddar but have done a three cheese mix in the past. 

 Dish this creamy goodness into a bread bowl and boom dinner is served.

Bread Bowls

this makes enough for 2 small bowls or one large (restaurant size) adjust for what you need. 

• 4 Tbsp. active dry yeast

• 2 cups warm water

• 2 Tsbp. sugar

• 1 Tbsp. Molasses

• 1 Tbsp.Honey 1Tbsp Butter Melted and mixed (per bowl) *garnish

• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for greasing bowl

• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for greasing bowl

• 2 tsp. salt

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup wheat flour, plus extra for dusting

• cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet or baking stone

• 1 egg