Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta

    After a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. This kielbasa pasta dish is so easy and you can probably make it in less than 30 minutes!

Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta

Ingredients: 

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1 pound of smoked kielbasa, sliced into 1/4 inch medallions

- 1 and 1/2 cups of diced onion

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

- 2 cups of chicken broth

- 1 (10 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (not drained)

- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 large bay leaf

- 8 ounces of dry pasta

- 1 (8 ounce) block of cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar), shredded

- thinly sliced scallions to garnish

    Over medium high heat, add the olive oil to a 4 quart saute pan. Fry the kielbasa for a few minutes, until it starts to lightly brown. Add in the onions and saute until they have softened. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (barely a minute). Next, add the chicken broth, tomatoes, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Let come to a simmer. Add in the pasta and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and stir in 1/2 of the cheese. Top with the remaining cheese and scallions. Serve and enjoy! 

This cheese makes the recipe!!

The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    I've always been a huge fan of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar soup! It's so creamy and cheesy, I just love it! I wanted to make something different for our church's soup and sandwich luncheon a few weeks ago. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like broccoli cheddar soup. So, I found a recipe that looked awesome and I tweaked it a little bit. This recipe makes a lot of soup. If you're not cooking for a lot of people or a lot of left-overs, I recommend you cut it in half.  

The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1 medium onion, diced

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter

- 1/2 cup of flour

- 4 cups (32 ounces) of chicken broth

- 4 cups (32 ounces) of half and half

- 2 cups of shredded carrot

- 1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen broccoli

- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 (16 ounce) package of shredded cheddar cheese

    In a small sauce pan over medium heat, saute the onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large 6 quart soup pot, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour to make a roux. Let the roux cook and bubble for 3 or 4 minutes. Next, slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half. Add a little salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring with the whisk about every 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Then, add the carrots, broccoli, and onion/garlic mixture. Let it simmer for another 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. With an immersion blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency. Add the cheddar cheese, let it melt, and serve!