Pumpkin Party {the menu}

Our favorite part of the Pumpkin Party is the delicious food.

(well, for the adults the food is the favorite part)

Warm soups served in delicious bread bowls.

It just screams FALL.

The day before our party, we call up and order bread bowls from our favorite bread store...
The Great Harvest Bread Co.

The morning of, we pick up the freshly baked bread and then wait patiently for it to get dark.

The soups on our menu consist of the following....

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

8 servings
Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
1 (6.2 ounce) package Uncle Ben's fast cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream (you can substitute up to one cup with milk)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
a tbls or two of olive oil



Directions
1. Saute the onion, carrots and celery with a little olive oil and garlic.

2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water, chicken and sauteed vegetables. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.

3. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

4. Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
 
I double this recipe because there are a lot of us and the leftovers are wonderful. Just thin it out with a little milk and it taste just as good as they day you made it.

Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe

4-6 servings
Ingredients:

1 lb Italian Sausage
2 large russet potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 bag Oscar Meyer bacon bits
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream








Directions:
1. Cook sausage in a 300°F oven for approximately 30 minutes.

2. Drain sausages on paper towels and cut into slices.

3. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.

4. Add sausage and bacon and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Turn to low heat and add kale and cream.

7. Heat through and serve.

 
Broccoli & Cheese Soup
4-6 servings

Ingredients:


1 1/2 cubes butter
2-3 bunches of chopped broccoli
1/2 c. flour
3 14oz. cans chicken broth
2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. Velveeta
1/2 t. salt








Directions:

1. Melt butter in saucepan and add chopped broccoli.

2. Heat on high for 3-5 min then stir in flour.

3. Gradually add chicken broth while stirring.

4. Cover and simmer for 10 min.

5. Stir in heavy cream..

6. Carefully (hold lid on blender, the heat WILL pop it off) blend soup and pour back into pot.

7. Heat and add Velveeta.

8. Salt to taste.

(all pictures found at allrecipes.com)

And of course, we have lots of goodies for dessert to make the kids happy. ;)

We'll be sharing some of those tomorrow.