15 February 2012

{Recipe} V-day Mac & Cheese Soup


I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day, regardless of whether it was spent with that special someone, friends and family, or even snuggled up by yourself on the couch watching chick flicks!  I'm a firm believer that Valentine's isn't only for those of us in relationships, but rather a celebration of love in the broadest sense and a reminder to let those close to you know that you love and care about them.

Unfortunately, this Valentine's Day I was stuck at work and then in class until 9:00pm {those love-sapping lecturers!}.  But, when I got home I arrived to the most beautiful bouquet of  St Joseph Lilies and two of the most gorgeous looking miniature apple strudels.  I sure am getting spoiled good these days!

Although it was a tad late, once I got home I set out to make Val's delicious-looking Mac & Cheese Soup.  I varied the recipe slightly, and served it with grilled cheese sandwiches on sourdough.  It turned out deliciously yummy, and only took about an hour to prep, cook, and serve!  But boy, let me tell you, this recipe is only for very special occasions, or very cold winter evenings.  I don't even want to know the calorie count and Jurgen and I both felt like huge oompa-loompas afterwards.  Still, if you're looking to splurge, have picky kiddos, or are craving comfort food in the best kind of way, this recipe is for you!

Mac & Cheese Soup


You Will Need:
  • 1 cup elbow macaroni
  • Cooking spray
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced shallots or spring onions
  • 1 carrot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 packet of bacon


Method:

1) Bring pot of salted water to a medium boil.  Add macaroni and cook as directed on the package.  Set aside.  Grill bacon in a separate pan until nice and crispy.  Dice bacon and set aside. 

2) Mince spring onions, carrots, and celery in a food processor {I don't have one so I just diced them}.  Melt butter in a medium pot (or large saucepan) and then cook veggies until tender.

3) Add flour to veggies and cook, stirring 2 minutes.  Gradually stir in broth and add macaroni noodles.  Bring to a boil, and stir until thickened {6 to 7 minutes}.  Remove from heat.

4) Add in milk, cheeses, and spices, and stir until cheese is completely melted.

5) Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle bacon over the top.


Enjoy!

Note: If you haven't been to Val's Blog before, I recommend stopping by - her recipes are amazing and also usually pretty simple.  About half of my weeknight recipes come from her!

***

And on a completely different note:

These are the beautiful lilies Jurg surprised me with yesterday, and they are making my flat smell so good!

It's little things like this that never fail to make my day :) 


24 comments:

  1. That soup sounds delicious :) I love soup but I almost never make it! But maybe I should try this!

    And the lilies are really beautiful!

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  2. ompa loompas! ha i love it :) the mac n cheese soup looks SOOO good tho!! happy valentines day! xo

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  3. what a mac and cheese soup that sounds amazing!! and those lilies are gorgeous, they are my favorite flower

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  4. Yum yum yum! I'm sitting here salivating!! Totally gonna make this ASAP :)

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  5. Oh, this looks so good...I don't know that I could get Robert to eat it though! I might just need to make it for myself anyway :)

    xoxo,
    Joelle

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  6. My mouth literally started watering. It's too warm here for me to make this without feeling guilty, but as soon as the temperatures drop, it's done!

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  7. that soup looks so yummy! totally love your blog!!

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  8. WHYYYYYY do you do this to me?!?!?! im never going to lose weight. but in reality, finding cheddar cheese in norway is not possible (unless you want to pay a ridiculous amount), so im in the clear on this one. but i really want to try this soup!

    val's blog is the best for recipes!!! and her photos are perfect!

    hope you had a great v-day!!! looks like jurgen did well from the photos ;)

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  9. omg, yummmm! I may be dreaming about this soup until I actually make it- I guess I better make it soon!

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  10. the soup looks so good jenna! craving cheesyness right now!!

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  11. That soup looks so comforting and warm and delicious.

    Yum!!

    http://unpublishedworksofme.blogspot.com/

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  12. this might possibly be the best recipe i've ever seen! i love a good mac n cheese recipe!

    glad you guys had a great vday once you finally got home :) your flowers are beautiful!

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  13. This recipe is making me drool..I'm definitely going to have to try it:)

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  14. Mmm that looks yummy, perfect for a cold day! And the flowers are beautiful, I love getting them once in a while!

    xx L

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  15. mmm that soup looks delicious we are cheese lovers in this house, and I don't know if I am going to be able to resist.

    Also, yay for Jurg! What a guy! :)

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  16. That soup pic just got me hungry! I agree that Valentine's should be a day in which everyone should celebrate either in a relationship or not.

    P.S. check out my giveaway! http://hendersons01.blogspot.com/2012/02/big-apple.html

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  17. Nom nom nom! :) looks good. Your flowers are gorgeous!

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  18. mm look delicious! I may cook it!

    http://www.martasfashiondiary.com/

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  19. Mac and cheese soup?!! Eee yum!!! I can't wait to try this.
    Thanks Jenna!

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  20. Aww, your soup looks INCREDIBLE. I'm glad you enjoyed!!!!! Hugs, my friend!

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  21. Oh no you didn't!! This soup looks scrumptious which is dangerous for a preggo lady like me!! :)

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Thanks for the love!