Source: Recipezaar

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli (I used one bag of Aldi frozen broccoli instead of fresh)
1 cup carrots, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in blender but I don’t. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

Note: If your kids are not keen on big hunks of broccoli, you can use an immersion blender, standard blender, or a food processor to puree the soup before serving.

We ate these for dinner tonight and they were heavenly! This is a great quick dinner and affordable to boot!

Ranch Pork Chops

4-6 pork chops (I purchase the center cut and not the assorted variety)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one shallow container, mix together the flour and Italian seasonings. In another shallow container, pour in the Ranch dressing. Trim all fat from the pork chops and then dredge in the flour. Dip the pork chop into the dressing on both sides. Place pork chops on a greased baking dish and sprinkle the tops with a little Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 minutes.

We served this with rice and baby sweet peas.

Bread Machine Calzone

1 1/4 cups water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered milk
3/4 cup sliced Italian sausage
3/4 cup pizza sauce
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted

To Make Dough: Place water, yeast, sugar, flour, salt and powdered milk in the pan of the bread machine, in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle. After cycle is completed, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Meanwhile, brown sausage for about 8 to 10 minutes in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess fat and reserve.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Shape dough into a 16 inch by 10 inch rectangle. Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet, and spoon pizza sauce lengthwise down the center of  the dough, followed by the browned sausage and the cheese. Make diagonal cuts 1 1/2 inches apart down each long side of the dough rectangle, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the filling. Criss-cross cut strips of dough over the filling and seal edges with water. Brush top of calzone with melted butter.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

Exquisite Pizza Sauce

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
6 fluid oz warm water (110 degrees F)
3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients in order listed above, making sure to break up any clumps of cheese.  Cover the sauce and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Spread sauce over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

I got this recipe off of one of my cooking boards (thanks Sandy!!) and am heading to the store today to get the ingredients. I plan to make a sticky chicken and use that meat for the wraps (to save on cost).

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps

3 cups coarsely shredded deli rotisserie chicken (from 2-2 1/2 lb chicken)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)
8 slices cooked bacon, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (4 medium)
1 cup ranch dressing
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

In large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce. Cover; refrigerate up to 3 days. To make one wrap, spread a generous 1/3 cup chicken mixture on tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce; roll up. Note: Warm the tortillas slightly in the microwave so they are more pliable. The filling can also be heated in the microwave (heat individual portions on High for 30-45 seconds) to make a hot sandwich.

Serve with Shoestring Oven Fries