The chicken breast is covered with a dusting of herbes de provence, to which I added fennel pollen. If you don’t have the fennel pollen just use fennel or omit it. I baked the chicken, but  it could be grilled for even more flavor.

Served with green beans and biscuits, with the rest of the Coconut Cherry White Chocolate bars for dessert,This recipe was a big hit at our house.

Herbed Chicken Breast with Portobello, Bacon, and Parmigiano Reggiano

• 12 boneless chicken breast halves
• Herbes de Provence
• Fennel Pollen
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
• 4 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ozs or so of good Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Lay the chicken in a large pan with sides and sprinkle it liberally with the herbs.
3. Sprinkle it with salt and put in the oven.
4. Cook until it reaches an internal temp. of 165F
5. Saute the bacon until it is done and crisp.
6. Pour off the fat and reserve it.
7. Add the onion to the pan and saute until transparent.
8. Add more bacon drippings as  needed to to keep the vegetables from sticking and scorching.
9. Add the garlic and saute three minutes.
10. Add the mushrooms and stir ingredients together.
11. Cook slowly, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender.
12. Add 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and allow to simmer for about 3 minutes.
13. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
14. Add the mushrooms
15. Spoon some of the mushrooms over each chicken breast and garnish with a few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Serves 12

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I served them with ham, but they make a great topper for shepherds pie, or anything where you want flavorful mashed potatoes.  Not sure that you would want to dump gravy on these…

1/2 lb bacon

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

3 lbs potatoes- peel russets, if using the red potatoes leave the skin on and just scrub well

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup half and half- simmering hot

1 stick unsalted butter

2 cups grated sharp cheddar, divided

Salt and pepper tp taste

Boil potatoes in water to cover until tender.  Drain.

Fry bacon until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Crumble. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

Saute onion and garlic in bacon grease until tender, and onion is transparent.  Add potatoes to pan and warm through, stirring to coat with the pan juices.Pour the potatoes into a bowl.  Add sour cream,  half and half cream, butter, and 1 cup of the cheese.  Mash with a potato masher until fluffy.  Stir in bacon crumbles.

Spread in a 13×9 inch pan and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350F about 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.  Serve hot.

Serves 6-8

image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

This week I made a penne with leeks, bacon and smoked gouda, inspired by a recipe in the March issue of Bon Appetit.

I really liked the smokey flavor of the cheese combined with the bacon and leeks.  I used a whole wheat penne which seemed to me to handle the depth of the flavors better than normal pasta would have.  The sauce was smooth and rich and I really liked the way this pulled together.

Penne with Smoked Gouda, Leeks, and Bacon

• 4 leeks, bulbs and lighter green parts sliced and chopped
• 1/2 lb applewood smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 lb smoked gouda, grated
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 c milk
• 1 1/2 c half and half
• 1 tbs dijon
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb whole wheat penne

1. Cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside on paper towel
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the baking grease
3. Add leeks to pan, cover and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Stir a few times and don’t let them brown
4. Remove leeks with slotted spoon and set aside
5. Add flour, stirring constantly for 2 minutes
6. Add the milk, stirring until smooth.
7. Add the cheese, mustard, and hot sauce
8. Stir until the cheese melts
9. Add a little of the cheese sauce to the beaten eggs to temper; whisk into the sauce
10. Set aside
11. Cook pasta until tender; drain and add to large casserole
12. Stir in the leeks and bacon
13. Add the cheese sauce and stir well
14. Bake for 30 minutes ate 400F

Serves 6-8

images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Do you ever feel like a short order cook in a restaurant?  I sure do.  Sometimes it seems like every one wants something different and breakfast seems to be the main problem.

What is it about breakfast that makes otherwise non-picky people so darn picky?  I have some that want pancakes, daily, others that want homemade granola, and still others that would prefer French toast.  The worst offenders, in my opinion, are those that claim not to be picky, claim they don’t care and then proceed to sigh and push their food around the plate with a fork.

To this, I have one thing to say…cheese and bacon biscuits.

No one can really resist them.  Big and fluffy, with a nice cheese flavor, these biscuits are best served hot with crisp bacon and egg on the inside.  Quite a lot like the proverbial breakfast sandwich at the local fast food place…only better.

These freeze really well.  You can even freeze them individually with the egg and bacon inside and heat them up in the microwave for a quick breakfast on the go.  I use cans to cut these with, the big one pound tomato cans.  You can use whatever you like best.  I also like to sprinkle the top with cheese, it gives them a nice color and look.

Some of the kids like them with eggs, and some like them with just bacon…sometimes we make them with sausage.  These are very versatile so make them the way you like best.

Cheese and Bacon Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches

• 2 c flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 c grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c cold unsalted butter

• 3/4 c buttermilk

Set oven to 500 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients.

Grate 1/2 cup butter into the dry ingredients and mix quickly.

Add the cheese.

Add buttermilk all at once stirring until a soft dough is formed.
Knead dough lightly on a floured board about 5-10 strokes…GENTLE strokes.

Pat out 3/4 inch thick and cut straight down with a smooth sided biscuit cutter or mason jar. Do not twist as you are cutting.
Place just touching on a silpat covered baking sheet

. Place in oven until golden. This will only take about 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the biscuits. Watch carefully.
1 to 2 dozen (depends on size)

Meanwhile cook 1 package of bacon until crisp.

Drain.  Break each piece in half to fit on the biscuits.

I you want to add egg then use on scrambled egg per biscuit.  I just leave them cook in the pan like an omelet and then fold them onto the biscuit.

Images:(c) 2009 Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights, but it may not be my only one.  It is Presto Pasta Night’s 100th posting date and I wanted to do something special..This was incredible but I am still working on a more incredible birthday surprise..which may or may not work.

Seriously.  Cajun Black Bean Fettuccine. Yum.  You have to like spice for this…and you have to go to Bacon Freaks and get the cajun bacon.

This is spicy.  And different.  And good.

Cajun Black Bean Fettuccine

1/2 lb cajun bacon, chopped (you can use less if you like)

2 onions, chopped

2 cans organic black beans, drained

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb fettuccine, cooked and drained

Sour Cream for garnish

Saute bacon until almost done.  Add the onion and garlic.  Saute until the onion is transparent and tender.  Pour off the fat and reserve.

Add the black beans and toss together.  Add about a tablespoon of the bacon fat to the fettuccine and toss to coat the fettuccine.  Place the pasta on a plate and top with black bean and bacon mixture.

Serve with sour cream garnish, avocado on the side, a sour dough baguette, and lots of water.

serves 6-8

images: marye audet (c) 2009

Post from: Baking Delights

Remember the awesome bacon that I reviewed the other day? Well, check this out!  The company is offering one lucky reader some of their Maple Bacon Pancake mix.

Here’s what you do:

• Leave a comment for one entry
• Blog about the contest and then leave another comment with the address of your post for another entry
• Subscribe to Baking Delights RSS feed and leave a comment letting me know for another entry
• Check the website for Bacon Freaks and leave a comment letting me know what you think the most awesome product that they carry is for another entry.

Ships to US only.

You all know that bacon is the new super ingredient.  Here is a great opportunity to test that theory!

You may enter until February 1, 11:59 P.M.

Image: Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I got two pounds of bacon in the mail the other day.  Now, this isn’t a random happening as you may think.  I don’t just randomly get bacon in the mail.

No, this was planned bacon in the mail.

If you are a serious baconista then Bacon Freak is your website of choice.  Seriously, with a tagline that says “Bacon is meat candy” how can you go wrong?

I got two types.  The one that I tested today was the country style and it is amazing.  First of all the meat is marbled quite evenly, and cut not too thin or thick but just right for crispy meaty bacon.  The fat is beautiful and white, not greasy looking and it turns crisp and golden when it is fried.

You won’t believe how the house smelled this morning.

So, I figure that country style bacon should be served with a standard country breakfast.  I made scrambled eggs, bacon, and whole grain toast with butter and honey.  The bacon did not shrink away to a micro-size either.  It maintained nearly the same size as when raw.

Perfect.  Nice contrast between salty and sweet.  I can’t wait to try the next batch..Cajun style.  I will be making a special recipe with that and reviewing it in the next few days.

I have been having trouble getting the website today but the blog works great.  This bacon is definitely a keeper…and stay tuned because we will be doing a giveaway soon!

images: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I am not really sure why I started calling htis quiche recipe Alsatian, only that I did.  It isn’t at all a fancy thing; good stick to your ribs food really.  With having our own chickens, quiche is not only an easy meal, it is a cheap one.

The first time I ever tried quiche I ws 17.  I took my boyfriend’s mom, who I adored, out to shop at a local, upscale mall.  She was from Europe and had not been in the states too long.  We went to a restaurant that I thought she would like and as we were reading the menu I asked her what quiche was.

Her eyes twinkled and she said , “Oh, try that Chick, you will love it.”

So I did, and I did love it.  When Marc and I married I could not cook a thing so I determined I would learn.  One of the first things I learned to make was quiche and I made it in enough varieties and enough ways that I think it was my signature dish for years.  I have made it with champagne, with olives, with leftover venison chili and nearly everything else you can imagine. It is just one of those dishes that you make the crust, throw some leftovers in, pour the filling over and bake.

Voila.  DInner.  Breakfast.  Brunch.  Lunch. Snack. Tea.

This particular quiche is filling because of the potatoes and bacon.  The potatoes create a new layer of texture and truly, this is one of my favorites.

Inevitably someone is going to ask me if you can use skim milk (shudder) and low fat cheese and egg substitute.  If you must, go ahead.  Personally I would rather eat a sliver with taste than a chunk of cardboard.  Do be aware that if you change the ingredients, especially the fat content, the flavor is going to be different.  I know the diet books tell you that it isn’t so, but they are crazy.

If you need a refresher on how to make pie dough click on the pie dough tutorial.

There really is no trick to good quiche.  Mix the eggs well, cook at a slow rate, don’t overcook, and serve promptly.

Alsatian Quiche

• 1 9 inch pie crust, with sides pinched a little higher than normal
• 1 cup of cheese: swiss, jack, cheddar, edam or what ever you have (I used mild cheddar and jack here)
• 8 sliced of peppered bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 6 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups half and half cream
• Salt to taste
• cracked black pepper (trust me) to taste

1. Saute bacon and onion in a pan until bacon is crisp and onion is tender.  Carefully reomove bacon and onion and reserve, leaving bacon drippings in the pan.
2. Fry the potato slices in the bacon until tender and they show golden brown color here and there.  Remove the potatoes to the crust, making a flat layer of the fried potato slices.
3. Cover with the bacon and onion.  Sprinkle with the cracked black pepper.
4. Cover with the cheese.
5. Mix the eggs, cream, and salt very well.  Pour carefully over the filling.
6. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour or until the egg is set.  Check by placing a knife about 1 inch from the center of the quiche.  The knife should come out clean.
7. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Quiche freezes well both in its baked and unbaked states.  If you plan to freeze this I suggest omitting the potatoes as they do not freeze well at all.
Serves 6

images:(c)Marye Audet 2009 All Rights Reserved

Post from: Baking Delights

Yep.  Pizzaria style.  Hand tossed.

The thing is I always make hand tossed pizza.  I have been doing it for years..I can even get it spinning.  I thought..aha! This will be a piece of....cake pizza.

The dough is much different to work with than what I generally use but I like this dough much better.  The crust came out crisper and crunchier…harder to spin but much tastier.

This will make two large pizzas.  I wasn’t sure so I stuck with the recipe.  I should have doubled it.  Note to self: ALWAYS double the recipe!

I made two different pizzas with it..both were wonderful but my family said that my spicy apple, bacon and brie pizza did not taste like pizza.  Of course it did, the plebians.  Really stinkin good pizza.

So…one pizza was the family favorite.  Cheese.  Tomato paste. Pizza crust.

And that was really good.  The dough is crispy and chewy with lots of flavor.  This was the closest crust to what I remember it being up on the East Coast.  Really good.

Did I say really good?

Then the other pizza I did I wanted to be…umm…DARING!  So I made this:

Oh my…are those chipotle peppers in there?  Let’s look closer…

Gosh durn…there ARE chipotle peppers in there!

I figure you know how to make the cheese one so lets chat about the apple one.  Ot isn’t sweet, this is not a dessert pizza.  I sauted the apples (honeycrisp) with 3 slices of bacon. a tablespoon of butter, a teaspoon of chipotle, and  a tablespoon of brown sugar. I cooked it, stirring often until the apples were tender and the bacon crisp.

I used my fingers to dot the crust with brie that was ripe and melty.  I then spooned the apple mixture over, then topped with a couple of handfuls of pecans.  I baked as directed in the pizza recipe.

It was excellent.  Would make a great appetizer.  If you don;t like brie you could use muenster or even gouda I think.

O.k…here is the recipe..and then go check out all the other Daring Pizzas at Daring Bakers!

And don’t forget to join the baking delights flickr group!  It’s fun!

THE CHALLENGE: You have to use the tossing method (as explained below) for at least 2 Pizza Crusts. If you are not comfortable with it, then you can switch to the rolling method, but you HAVE to try the traditional method and exercise it, using at least two dough pieces. You should also capture the moment by either filming or photographing yourself while tossing the dough.

THE RULES: This month’s recipe leaves you with much freedom! You can either make the Pizza Dough gluten-free or the normal way. You may use the sauce (anything liquidy, saucy and spreadable like cream cheese, flavored oils, pesto, Nutella, Peanut Butter, pumpkin puree, etc…) and toppings of your choice, may they be savory or sweet, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian or non-vegan/vegetarian. You must use BOTH (sauce & toppings).

JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION!!!

POSTING DATE: Wednesday, October the 29th 2008

EQUIPMENT: Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments (optional, see recipe), cooking thermometer, baking sheet, parchment paper, cooking oil, plastic wrap, pizza peel/scraper, pizza stone or pan.

RECIPE SOURCE:  “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread” by Peter Reinhart. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.  Copyright 2001.  ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6.

***************

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled – FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast – FOR GF use 2 tsp
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar – FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2.  FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter.  Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them.  Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8.  FOR GF:  On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator.  Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven.  Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10.  FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter – for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter – for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11.  FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12.  FOR GF:  Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13.  FOR GF:  Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

REMARKS:
Tossing links: http://www.wikihow.com/Toss-Pizza-Dough, http://www.vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?f … D=35480534, http://www.ehow.com/how_2066953_toss-pizza-dough.html, http://www.classic-hand-tossed-pizza.bl … hands.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhcTKeslAmk, http://www.ask.yahoo.com/20050222.html

***************

NOTE ON SAUCE: Your sauce (any) should not be too thick as it will thicken in the hot oven. Less is more but make the less truly more by using quality ingredients.

SUCE IDEAS: Pestos, white or brown sauce, tomato sauce, sour cream, thick cream, Bolognese sauce, etc…
Check here for sauce recipes: http://www.tenspeedpress.com/page.php3?ftr=300

***************

TOPPING IDEAS: Seafood, fish, meat (dry, cured, smoked or ground), cheeses (Gruyère, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta, Maroille, Munster, etc…), nuts, tofu, veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, hearts of palm, zucchinis, pumpkin, red onions, etc…), herbs (mixes, fresh or dried), spices (garlic, gourmet salt, pepper, curry, berbere, ras-el-hanout, za’atar, etc…), nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashew nuts, Brasil nuts, macadamia nuts, etc…)….

TOPPING LINKS: http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/pizzatoppings.html, http://www.correllconcepts.com/Encyclop … ppings.htm.

***************

GENERAL PIZZA LINKS: http://www.breadtopia.com/pizza-dough-recipe/

****************

See how Peter Reinhardt’s “Napoletana Pizza Dough” recipe turned out: http://www.chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=142, http://www.101cookbooks.com, http://www.ieatfood.net/?p=7.

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

So, here it is, the first day of fall…80 degrees here in Texas but that isn’t the point..it is now, quite officially…potato soup weather.

I grew up with potato soup.  Not this potato soup but my mom’s version..the one SHE grew up with..and she was born in 1918.  I hardly ever deviate from that recipe, my comfort food both when I was a kid and as an adult.  But this recipe may be…just a tiny bit better than my mom’s recipe.  If not in memories then in taste, anyway.  By baking the potatoes in the oven they have a roasted flavor, stronger than when they are boiled and stronger than when they are microwaved, too.

I have great memories of Bennigan’s.  I had my first legal drink at the one out by Six Flags in 1978 at my 18th birthday steak dinner. I am so out of the loop though, that I did not know they had filed bankruptcy.

This is not a delicate potato soup at all..It is robust and can hold up to garlic bread or onion rolls with ease. It is a great side with a corned beef sandwich, or on it’s own with a hunk of garlic bread and a salad.

You don’t have to put the bacon fat in if you are freaky about fat but you will be missing alot of taste that way.

Bennigan’s  Baked Potato Soup

5  pounds  potatoes, scrubbed and stabbed with a knife in the centers
6 tablespoons  butter
2  finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons minced fresh  garlic
2 cups Pacific Free Range Organic chicken broth
6 cups whole milk or half and half
3 tablespoons bacon fat

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon cooked and crumbled

Chopped scallions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake potatoes 1 hour or until they are tender when pierced. Peel.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium low heat. Stir in onions and garlic; cover and cook 10 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add the chicken broth, milk, salt and pepper.

Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the bacon fat.

Cut the remaining potatoes in small cubes.Add to the soup.

Ladle soup  into bowls.  Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and scallions.

8 servings

Image: Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights