leftovers

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup Recipe

April 5, 2019entrees, leftovers, lunchSheri SpalloneComment

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

I cannot be the only one who takes leftovers and creates new masterpieces to stretch a buck, right? Take soup, for example. It is the perfect means for re-purposing leftovers and a dish to be enjoyed year-round. Do you eat soup year-round? We do! Today, we have taken leftovers to a new level, combined the flavors of the classic dish Chicken Cordon Bleu (chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese), added Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard, and created this delicious soup your family will love.

If you have been following our blog (thank you, we love you, or if you just found our blog, welcome, we love you, too!), you will recall (or be introduced to) my passion for creating culinary masterpieces using leftovers. With a family of five, I do my best to waste as little as possible, and leftovers are the way to go. This delicious soup recipe came together out of necessity last Christmas when I tried to make sense of leftover ham, vegetables from the crudité platter, Swiss cheese, and leftover chicken (which always seems to be a staple in our home). It dawned on me, Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup! Something different, and different is good:)

This rich, creamy soup tastes like its iconic cousin with generous chunks of ham, chicken, Swiss Cheese, hearty vegetables, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, and Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz Seasoning. The flavors combine beautifully to create a delicious meal your family will repeatedly request.

What are you waiting for? Grab your leftovers and make a batch of this flavorful soup today. If there are any leftovers, portion them off into plastic freezer bags and freeze them to be enjoyed year-round.

Bon Appétit!

Comment below and tell us how you liked this deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
4 Tablespoons (Tbsp) butter
3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Minors chicken base
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon (tsp) Thyme
1 teaspoon (tsp) Rosemary
1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz
1 heaping Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 cup diced ham (leftover holiday ham is perfect, or chop up a ham slice)
2 Tablespoon (Tbsp) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Preparation
Chop onions, carrots,and celery and set aside.

Wash and chop potatoes. In a Dutch oven, add enough water to cover the potatoes and cook potatoes on medium-high, until almost fork tender. Drain potatoes and set aside when they are finished cooking.

While potatoes are cooking, add onions, carrots, and celery to a large skillet and cook in butter on low until tender. Add the cooked onions, carrots, and celery to the potatoes in the Dutch oven.

Add the chicken broth, wine, Thyme, Rosemary, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, chicken, and ham to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the Swiss cheese.

To thicken the soup, remove 1 cup of soup from pan and combine it with the flour in a food processor or blender (that can handle heat). Puree until smooth. Add the pureed soup back to the Dutch oven and stir. Add the Swiss cheese. Allow soup to cook for 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley (optional). Serve with a green salad and our Best Darn Garlic Bread for a complete meal.

Bon Appetit!

Yum

Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Rice Recipe

May 21, 2018leftovers, side dishesSheri SpalloneComment

Add some zing to Mexican Night or Taco Tuesday with this easy-to-make Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Rice Recipe.

"Mexican Night" (tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.) appears weekly on our meal rotation, and Mexican (Spanish) rice is our family's favorite accompaniment. I recently tried something new and served Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Rice, featuring Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, white Jasmine rice, and Cilantro. This flavorful side dish was a huge hit with our family!

If you are looking for a zippy dish that is quick and easy and pairs nicely with your favorite Mexican dish, then surprise your family with Chardonnay Lime and Cilantro Rice. Your family will thank you!

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Ingredients

1 cup white jasmine rice (We used Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice- found at BJ's Warehouse)
2 cups chicken stock or water
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) butter
2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) fresh lime juice
3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation

Add water or stock, rice, and butter to a medium sauce pan. Turn the heat on medium-high, cover and cook until water comes to a boil (about 5 minutes).

Turn down heat, stir rice, and add Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning and lime juice to the pan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the rice from the heat, add the chopped cilantro and allow the mixture to simmer, covered for another 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork before serving. Serve with our Double Decker Tacos, Fish Tacos, or your favorite Mexican dishes.

*Note: Adjust the water content according to preference, increasing for more softness or decreasing for a firmer texture.

Yum

Chicken Caprese Pasta Recipe

April 12, 2018entrees, leftoversSheri SpalloneComment

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Happy Spring friends! Old man winter has finally loosened his grasp here in Pennsylvania, and signs of warmer weather are emerging everywhere...the Forsythia are awakening, the daffodils are smiling, the birds are playing, and the weather people are forecasting summer-like temperatures this weekend. Amen! To celebrate the return of Spring and warmth, I am excited to share this quick and easy, summer-like Chicken Caprese Pasta Recipe.

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Nothing screams warm weather like juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and savory basil (aka Caprese). I absolutely love this refreshing combination and by adding leftover chicken and pasta to the mix, dinner is easy peasy. So if you want to tantalize your family's taste buds with an easy meal and celebrate the fresh taste of summer, grab some plump juicy tomatoes, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz Seasoning, fresh mozzarella cheese, and create this deliciously satisfying summer-like dish. Your family will thank you.

Let us know how you liked this dish and as always, thank you for visiting our blog!

Ingredients

1 package of spaghetti, cooked according to directions
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup light cream
1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup prepared pesto (or make it homemade with our Perfect Pesto Recipe)
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced (cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or leftover chicken would work really well here)
1 Tablespoon Tbsp) fresh chopped basil for garnish

Preparation
Cook spaghetti according to package directions in salted water, and drain. Rinse, dry, and slice cherry or grape tomatoes in half and set aside.

While spaghetti is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, add the cream cheese, light cream, pesto, and Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz. Cook on low for 5 minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken. Add the tomatoes, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to the sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Towards the end of the cooking process, add the diced cooked chicken.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain the pasta and add to the skillet with the cheese mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes!

Bon appetito!

Yum

Irish Vegetable Soup Recipe

January 4, 2018entrees, leftovers, lunch, side dishesSheri Spallone8 Comments

Happy 2018! Now that the holidays are behind us, I am sure many, like me, have a plethora of leftovers, including vegetables from the vegetable tray. Am I right? Instead of tossing the veggies, dice them up to create this unique, flavorful Irish Vegetable Soup.

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Vegetable soup is very satisfying and full of fresh vegetables and herbs, but not necessarily noteworthy, in my opinion. But travel across the ocean to The Emerald Isle (Ireland), and you will find not only breathtaking countryside with warm and friendly native folk but also delicious vegetable soup presented entirely differently than in the states. Instead of chunky vegetables swimming in a sea of full-bodied broth, the Irish version is a smooth, pureed blend of root vegetables, garlic, herbs, cream, and butter.

There is nothing like travel to cause a bit of culture shock, particularly in the cuisine, but I am rarely shocked by soup! My hubby and I traveled to Ireland last summer to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, and this humble dish graced almost every pub and fancy restaurant throughout the country. I have to admit; I was a bit skeptical at first about pureed vegetable soup, but my husband and I sheepishly smirked at each other and indulged.

Wow! If I had not been in the presence of others, I might have licked the entire bowl clean! It was so tasty and filling that I had to recreate this pool of deliciousness at home!

When I re-created this soup, I thought for sure the texture alone would send my teenagers running, but it didn't! The aroma drew them out of their rooms. "Mom, what smells so good?" "Vegetable soup," I replied. "Would you like to try it? It is Ireland's version." They liked it so much that this soup now makes a weekly appearance in our home.

So, for my version, I used potatoes (sweet or regular), garlic, Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, celery, parsnips, carrots, onions, and sometimes leftover vegetables, such as broccoli or spinach. And, because you puree the entire batch, even the most discerning vegetable haters might enjoy this dish. It is a great way to get your family to eat more veggies. You need to give this version of vegetable soup a try. It is easy, delicious, and satisfying, and you may never return to the chunkier version again!

Please comment below if you have tried this tasty soup.

Thank you for visiting. Please come back again.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) butter
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, washed and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
3 potatoes with skins on, diced (feel free to substitute sweet potatoes)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup spinach (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic or Cherchies® Garlic'n Herbs Seasoning Blends, divided
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper
2 cups vegetable broth (ok to substitute chicken broth)
1/4 cup half & half (substitute fat-free greek yogurt for a lighter version)
Blender

Preparation

Add butter, celery, onions, garlic, parsnips, and carrots to a large soup pot or dutch oven. Season with 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic or Garlic'n Herbs Seasoning blend and pepper. Sauté the vegetables, until onions are translucent.

Add the vegetable or chicken broth to the pot. Add potatoes, tomato, and rest of the Garlic Seasoning to the soup pot. Throw in some Kale or Spinach of leftover broccoli if you have it on hand (optional). Simmer until potatoes are soft and then add the half and half.

Once vegetables are finished cooking, turn off the stove and allow the soup to cool for five minutes. Now onto the blender. Carefully add the soup ingredients to a blender, making sure to only fill the blender half-full. You may have do a couple of batches. To ensure the hot soup does not explode everywhere, remove the center portion of the blender to allow steam to escape and put a clean towel over top. If you have a blender that is equipped to handle soup, then this step is not necessary. Hold the lid covered with the towel down and puree. Or, wait until the soup has cooled about 20 minutes or so and then puree.

Pour the pureed soup into your favorite soup bowl, serve with bread, and enjoy this tasty version of Ireland's vegetable soup! If you are feeling fancy, carefully add a little half and half and make a fun design. Enjoy!