Best Ever Homemade French Onion Soup

Well, it looks like snow is back on the menu for tonight into tomorrow—at least it is for us here in Pennsylvania— I'm hoping for a snow day for my kids, or at least a late start! 

What could be better for a snow day than homemade French Onion Soup, complete with crusty croûtes and bubbly, melted Swiss cheese? 

Nothing. Nothing could be as good as that because FOS rocks. So, don't wait for the next blip on the storm chaser website calling for snow to run out and get the ingredients to make this beautiful soup—instead, put the ingredients on your shopping list right now! And after you make it, be sure to come back and leave me a comment below and let me know how much you loved it, because this is the best recipe ever!

(complete recipe at end of post)

You will need 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil.

In a large soup pot melt 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat.

I use regular yellow cooking onions for this recipe, and a bakery baguette loaf.

Peel and chop 4 cups of onions. I like to chop them into cubes that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in size.

How you cook the onions is very important. You do not want to cook them too fast on too high a heat, or they will not cook evenly and you will land up with burned onions. You want to cook them relatively low and slow, allowing them to become soft and translucent, and then golden brown. To do this, add onions to the pot with butter and olive oil and cook, covered, over low to medium low heat until onions start to turn translucent. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally. Once they become translucent, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over the onions and stir, this will help the onions to caramelize. Continue to cook the onions until they are a beautiful golden color.

Onions beginning to turn translucent

Once they become translucent, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over the onions and stir, this will help the onions to caramelize. Continue to cook the onions until they are a beautiful golden color. If you need to turn up the heat to help brown them, go ahead, but don't walk away from the stove. Stand there and stir them to make sure they don't burn!

Now add: 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 heaping tablespoons of flour stirring into the onions until coated. Then add your beef stock: You can use either 2 quarts of beef stock or 4 cans of beef consommé concentrate with 3 cans of water. Only add the water if you are using beef consommé concentrate. I like to use a bit less water with my consomme and add 1 to 2 cups of white wine. If you do not want to add wine to your soup, then just omit the wine and add an extra cup of water -  be sure to taste during the process. You do not want to end up with watered down soup! 

Stir in the beef stock/consomme and water

Add wine and stir. I start with one cup of wine and then taste. Sometimes I add a second cup of wine if the consomme is a bit strong. Simmer over low heat while you prepare the cruets. 

Prepare croûtes: Slice baguette into 1 inch slices, cutting the bread at a diagonal to make elongated shaped slices. Lightly brush one side of each slice with melted butter and place on cookie sheet. 

If you would like to make croutons instead, just cut each slice into four cubes after buttering and then place on cookie sheet.

Toast in 300° F oven watching carefully and turning to brown both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

To serve,fill bowls 2/3 full with soup. Top soup with croutons/croûtes.

Sprinkle croûtes with Swiss cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts and bubbles.

Perfect!

French Onion Soup

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups onions, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 cans Beef consommé

3 cans water

1-2 cups of dry white wine, to taste

2 heaping Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

For croûtes:

Loaf of crusty baguette

2 tablespoons melted butter

8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

In a large soup pot melt 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat.

Peel and chop 4 cups of onions. I like to chop them into cubes that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in size.

How you cook the onions is very important. You do not want to cook them too fast on too high a heat, or they will not cook evenly and you will land up with burned onions. You want to cook them relatively low and slow, allowing them to become soft and translucent, and then golden brown. To do this, add onions to the pot with butter and olive oil and cook, covered, over low to medium low heat until onions start to turn translucent. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally. Once they become translucent, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over the onions and stir, this will help the onions to caramelize. Continue to cook the onions until they are a beautiful golden color.

Now add: 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 heaping tablespoons of flour and stir into onions until they are coated. And your beef stock: You can use either 2 quarts of beef stock OR 4 cans of beef consommé concentrate with 3 cans of water (only add the water if you are using beef consommé concentrate.)

Add 1 to 2 cups of dry white wine (Chablis) to taste. Add ground black pepper to taste.

Stir and allow to simmer on low.

Prepare croûtes

Slice baguette into 1" thick slices, cutting the bread at a diagonal to make elongated shaped slices.

Lightly brush one side of each slice with melted butter and place on cookie sheet. If you would like to make croutons instead, just cut each slice into four cubes after buttering and then place on cookie sheet.

Toast in 300° F oven watching carefully and turning to brown both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cool, store in a food storage container or bag until ready to use, or to store extras.

Shred Swiss cheese.

To serve: fill bowls 2/3 full with soup. Top soup with croutons/croûtes, sprinkle with Swiss cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts and bubbles.

Pin this post! 

What do you think? Are you a fan of French Onion Soup?
Have you ever made your own?

Have a great week!

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs

Article, images, and designs copyright ©Laura Beth Love for Dishfunctional Designs™ 2018

all rights reserved

How To Make Authentic Homemade Pierogies - Family Recipe!

There is nothing in the world better than an old family recipe of comfort food. I can't even begin to describe the amount of yum going on here today. Have you ever had a really REALLY good homemade pierogi? If you have, then you will already know what I am talking about. If you haven't, then you are missing out!

The recipe is simple, and does not take very long to make. I think a lot of people don't realize this, because if they did, you would hear about people making homemade pierogies all the time! 

For those who've never heard of them before, pierogi (aka pierogies) are a kind of dough dumpling stuffed with a filling; most commonly potatoes and cheese. They are often pan cooked with onions in butter and served with sour cream on the side.

To make pierogies you first make a dough and set it aside in the refrigerator, and then make the filling. Then you put them together, boil them briefly in boiling water, and then pan fry them or keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Most importantly, be sure to share some with family or friends! 

Below is our recipe to share. My daughter and I made these on Christmas eve. I figured I would snap some photos while we were making them so that we could share the recipe and process with you. Be sure to get everyone in the house to help! 

Here's how you do it:

First make the dough: 
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (kosher or sea salt are best)
Mix all ingredients together to form a dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes while you make the filling. 

Next make the filling:
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed (I use 3-4)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Place cubed potatoes in pot, cover with water, and add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Cover and simmer until potatoes are fork-soft, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain potatoes and add to mixer (you can also mash them by hand in the pot using a potato masher if you prefer.)
Add 1 T. butter, the shredded cheese, 2 T. milk, and salt and pepper to the potatoes and mash until smooth. 

This filling looks perfect!

Now let's make the perogies:

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. 

We split our dough into two balls and rolled them out one at a time to make it more manageable.

 

I like to roll it to just under 1/8 in thickness. Not too thin or you will get holes in your pierogies —too thick and they will be too doughy. Practice makes perfect!

   

Use the rim of a glass, cup or cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough that are about 3 inches in diameter.

Use your fingers to press the dough circles a little larger if needed. Our first ones were a bit thick so we either stretched them out a bit, or re-rolled them. 

Now it's time to fill them! Get a custard cup or small bowl of water for your workspace. Scoop up about a tablespoon size dollop of filling and roll into a ball. Place filling inside your dough circle. Brush the edges of your dough circle with a few drops of water. Fold one side of your dough circle over to create a half-moon shape.

Press down on the edges to seal, making sure to also gently press the air out. Use a fork to gently seal the seams.

I place a clean linen dishcloth on a cookie sheet and place my filled pierogies on it while I work. 

These are ready for the next step - boiling them in water to cook the dough. Make sure all seams are closed and that there are no holes in the dough, or the filling will come out when you boil them.

Fill a large soup pot about 2/3 full with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water. Once the water is boiling, carefully add your pierogies, in batches of 5 or 6 at a time, and boil for about 3-4 minutes. 

Remove the pierogies from the boiling water with a slotted spoon. I place mine in a colander that is on a plate to drain them. Next, drizzle the cooked pierogies with a tablespoon or two of olive oil so that they do not stick together! 

How I cook my pierogies:  I melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized fry pan on medium-low heat and then add a small chopped onion. 

I cook the onion slowly, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn translucent, and then I add my pierogies and cook, flipping once or twice, until both sides are slightly golden brown. Serve with sour cream.

If you like, you can cook them for a shorter period and have softer pierogies. I like them kind of crispy and with my onions dark. It's just a matter of personal preference! 

This is how I like mine! 

Pierogie making in action!

Pin this post! 

Have you ever made homemade pierogies?

What do you think?

Have a great week!

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs

Article, images, and designs copyright ©Laura Beth Love for Dishfunctional Designs™ 2018

all rights reserved

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder with Potato Gnocchi & Cheddar

This, my friends, is the ultimate comfort chowder. I created this recipe by combining my favorite flavors and textures - from the creamy chicken broth to the soft potato gnocchi, this chowder is a complete meal within itself. 

My 14-year-old daughter now calls this her "favorite soup in the entire world" and I have to say that I agree! Definitely not for the dieter, this chowder is a delicious rich and creamy luxury. Here it is in all it's glory. 

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder with Potato Gnocchi & Cheddar

You will need:

8 Tablespoons butter (2 for cooking chicken, 6 for making roux)

2 boneless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 medium-sized onion, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 - 32 oz. box chicken broth (or 3 - 14 oz. cans)

1 cup heavy cream 

1 cup whole milk or half and half

One large potato peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup of peeled chopped carrots

6 ounces extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon Thyme

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

16 oz. package of refrigerated potato gnocchi 

Instructions:

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot.

Cut two chicken breasts into bite-size pieces, add to soup pot and sauté until completely cooked. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add one half chopped onion.

Add three crushed cloves of garlic.

Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.

In a separate medium soup pot melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until bubbly. Add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk until brown creating a roux. Continue to whisk over medium-high heat until roux is golden brown.

Once roux is golden brown, whisk in entire box of chicken broth, heavy cream and milk (or half and half). Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Add broth and cream/milk mixture to large soup pot containing the cooked chicken.

Add one large peeled, chopped potato

Add 3/4 cup chopped carrots

Add shredded cheddar cheese (6oz) 

Add 1 bag (about 2 cups) frozen sweet corn

Add salt and ground black pepper to taste 

Add thyme

Stir, bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium and cover, cooking until potatoes and carrots are nearly fork-soft, about seven minutes. 

Add potato gnocchi. 

Stir and simmer until gnocchi is cooked, about two minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Variations:Note - This recipe is easily adjustable - here are a few different ways that I have made it:
You can add another chicken breast if you like it with more chicken.
You can add more or less cheese depending on your tastes.
You can use two potatoes instead of one, or omit them completely if you prefer. I have found that one big one works well. 
To make it super-decadent, use 2 cups of heavy cream and omit the milk. This variation is super rich and delicious but of course has more fat and calories. I like it on the rich side so I've found that 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup of half and half is my preferred way to make it. Season to taste!

I'd love to know - what's your favorite homemade chowder or soup?

Have a great week!
love,

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!