Tag: cheese

Swiss Vegetable Medley

The recipe for Swiss Vegetable Medley in Mom’s recipe box is written in pencil on a recipe card probably given to her by a friend, since it is the only card with that particular floral decoration in the box. Later she added an emphatic “Try This” in ink, which caught my eye.

My guess is that she asked for the recipe over a lunch table or at a potluck long after I left home. At least I don’t recall eating many frozen vegetables at Mom and Dad’s until after Jerri and I were married. When they were in season, we ate fresh vegetables from our garden. In the winter, besides onions, celery, carrots and potatoes, we ate canned peas, beans and corn that Mom put up in the summer and—I still dread it—canned spinach from the store.

Starting with frozen mixed vegetables, however, makes this a ridiculously easy recipe for making a tasty side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup French fried onions
1 small jar pimientos (optional)

PROCEDURE:

Thaw and drain the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 350º, grease a one quart casserole and grate the cheese. Stir the vegetables, soup and sour cream together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the black pepper and half the Swiss cheese and French fried onions.

Pour the mixture into the casserole and bake covered on a center shelf for thirty-five minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the onions and cheese over the top and bake uncovered for another five minutes.

Serve hot and bubbly as a side dish with just about any meat you like.

NOTES: I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why you couldn’t substitute three or four tablespoons of finely chopped red bell pepper for the pimientos.

Corn and Cheese Chowder

Chowders are basically thickened soups. They are similar to stews but often are thickened with cream, biscuits or crackers. This recipe uses cream and flour to thicken the broth, but the addition of corn and cheese puts it definitely in the chowder category.

Jerri found the original recipe about eight years ago on the web. It was pretty good but too bland for our taste. We increased the bacon, cheese and spices and ended up with a better bowl of chowder than what we had the first time we made it.

It’s inexpensive, easy to make and a good main dish for a warm and nourishing dinner on a cold winter evening. Give it a try.

INGREDIENTS:

5 slices bacon
1 large onion (3 1/2 – 4 inches in diameter)
1 T butter
2 tsp. cumin
3 T all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 large potato
10 – 12 oz. package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup whipping cream?2 1/2 – 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

PROCEDURE:

Peel the potato and chop it into a quarter inch dice. and cut the bacon into half inch pieces.

Fry the bacon in a four quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderate heat until it is browned and slightly crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a paper towel on a small plate.

While the bacon is cooking, clean the onion and chop it into a quarter inch dice.

Add a tablespoon of butter to the bacon fat. Cook the chopped onion in the fat for a minute or so, then stir in the cumin. Add the flour and white pepper and cook for one to two minutes to make a roux.

Whisk the chicken broth into the onions and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the potatoes, bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for eight to nine minutes, then stir in the cream and corn.

While the chowder is coming back to a simmer, grate the cheese. Stir in the grated cheese and hot sauce and heat until the chowder is steaming. Stir in two or three grinds of black pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with some crisp bacon. Serve with a salad and a good bread.

NOTE: If you don’t have any chicken broth in your pantry, you can substitute bouillon cubes and water. Start with three cubes of bouillon and four cups of water. Add another cube or a teaspoon of instant bouillon if you need more salt.