I have an unhealthy addiction to Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl (I have an unhealthy addiction to fresh, warm bread in general). But the soup is great too; perfect for cold, rainy days when all you want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good movie. It was one of those cold, rainy days when I decided that I wanted broccoli cheddar soup, but I didn’t want to go out into the crummy weather to get it. So, I decided to create my own. I made bread bowls using Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day dough that I had in the fridge – and by the way, have you heard that authors Zoë François and Jeff Hertzberg are coming out with a new book? It’s called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and it’s full of delicious whole wheat and even gluten-free recipes. You could make your bread bowls using their master whole wheat bread recipe, and they’d be even healthier and just as delicious. Try it out this weekend! Here’s what you’ll need for the soup:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, shredded and chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces grated colby jack cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

First, prepare the bread bowls. To make two bread bowls, I took half a batch of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day dough out of the container in my refrigerator and divided it in half again. I let the dough rest on a floured pizza peel on my counter for about 40 minutes. While you’re waiting, make sure your baking stone and broiler pan are in the oven, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

For the soup, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat.

Remove the onions and add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add in the half and half, milk, and chicken stock. Bring to almost a boil.

Add the onion and garlic back in, along with the broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, bake the bread for 30 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool. When the bowls are still a little warm, cut out the centers.

Season the soup with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir in the cheeses (and you can play around with the amounts; use however much or little you like) and let simmer for 10 minutes longer before serving. Pour the soup into the bread bowls, and enjoy!

I know, it’s more apple season than pumpkin season right now (although the apple recipes are coming soon, don’t worry), but the other day I was craving pumpkin bisque. The temperature had taken its first dip into fall, and it was also a drizzly kind of day, so a hot steaming bowl of this was all I could think about. Fortunately, I had a can of pumpkin in my pantry, so I whipped up this very basic bisque in no time at all. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (I used fat free)

First, grab that can of pumpkin. I like to use Libby’s, but you can use any brand you like.

Purée the pumpkin in your food processor, just to make sure that you take care of any big lumps. We want the bisque to be nice and smooth.

Mix all the ingredients together in a sauce pan except for the evaporated milk.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 6-7 minutes. Then, reduce the heat again to low, and add in the evaporated milk. Heat the bisque on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it gets hot. Serve immediately.

This is one of my go-to meals, as long as I remember to prepare it the day before I want to have it. It’s one of my favorites because I use the ‘ole crockpot to make it, and any day I come home and dinner is already cooked for me is a good day. I also consider it comfort food, because even though it’s on the healthy side, there’s nothing better than a warm bowl of soup on a cold, rainy day. Which it is today. And will be every day this week, and probably next week. I’m not kidding; last night on the weather channel the headline was, “The Year Without Summer.” Ugh.

Anyway, even if you’re not plagued by rain and cold weather, this meal is also perfect if you’re on a budget. The whole chicken I bought was around $4, and we got two meals out of it. Here’s what else you’ll need:

• 5 or 6 carrots
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 onion
• 1/2 red onion
• Chicken broth – one of those big, 48 oz. cans should do the trick
• Seasonings – I used oregano and thyme
• 12 oz. egg noodles

First, chop up the vegetables. Sometimes I also chop up one or two cloves of garlic.

Toss all the vegetables together in the crockpot.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, and sprinkle on the seasonings. Feel free to use whatever seasonings you like, the fresher the better. However, PLEASE don’t forget to remove the giblets before you put the chicken in. It won’t be pretty later – trust me.

Fill the crockpot with the chicken broth. You want it at least 2/3 full, maybe more.

Now, set the crockpot to cook for 8 hours. I have a Rival crockpot the same as or similar to this one, so my setting was third from the left. When you come home from work, or after it’s been 8 hours if you’re at home, it’ll look like this:

It’ll also smell like heaven. Mmm. We’re not quite done yet, though. Remove the chicken from the soup. I use a giant slotted spoon, which helps me balance it and which also doesn’t take any of the soup with the chicken.

Remove the meat from the bones. It practically falls off by itself, so it doesn’t take long at all. In the meantime, put on a pot of hot water for the noodles.

Dump the chicken back into the crockpot.

Once the noodles are done, strain them and then mix them in with the soup.

I’ve made this chili-soup several times over the past year, but it wasn’t until hubby suggested the addition of tortilla chips that it really became a favorite. The chips perfect it, and it’s also kind of fun to dip them in the soup. While it’s more of a warming and comforting winter meal, I think it’s equally as good in the summer when you’re looking for something fast and fun, or if you need to feed a crowd.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large beefsteak tomato
• 1 can (14.5 oz) yellow corn
• 1 jar (24 oz) tomato sauce
• 3 cans (15.5 oz each) chili beans
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Bite-sized tortilla chips for dipping
• Shredded cheddar cheese for topping

The directions are easy. Just cook the ground beef and drain, and then chop up the tomato:

Chop the onion into chunks:

Chop the garlic into small pieces:

Then, add everything together in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let it simmer until you’re ready to serve it.

Shred the cheese for the topping:

And then sprinkle it over the top. Eat with the tortilla chips!

I just had to post this recipe, because it’s so easy, and because it’s perfect for a chilly autumn evening. I’ll be making this tonight to help chase away the cold!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 (48 oz) can beef broth
• 5 large onions, peeled and sliced into strips
• 8 slices fresh French bread
• 1 and 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onions; cook about 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently.
2. Add broth and stir. Cover, simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat broiler. Ladle hot soup into 8 oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl of soup with a bread slice. Sprinkle cheeses on top.
4. Broil 5-10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.