It was a bit chilly today and so I thought I would make a soup for supper. Not just any soup, however. A lush and easy Cheesy Sausage Chowder! Rich and deliciously hearty!
The recipe was one that I adapted from The Recipe Rebel for Cheeseburger Soup. It was a recipe I had pinned from Pinterest and popped into my to try file. It looked fabulous.
This was really super delicious. Nice and creamy and fairly substantial, hearty even!
Yield: 4
I did adapt it a fair bit with great success. When I went to make it, I discovered that I did not have the ground beef that I had thought I had. I did have some meaty thick Italian Sausage Links, however.
I buy the PC Free From Sausage links that you can find in the Super Store. They are lovely and lean and have a nice flavor. They come in several flavors. Hot and sweet Italian, Honey Garlic and Bangers.
They are the closest I have been able to find to British bangers back here where I live in Canada, and I thought they would be a great substitute for ground beef. I confess, I am not overly fond of ground beef mixed into things like soups anyways.
I usually buy these sausages on offer and then I divide then up into two sausage lots and freeze them in zip lock baggies (double bagged). They always come in handy, and frozen by the two like that, they thaw out really quickly, ready to be fried or to be used in a recipe like this one.
That is not the only adaptation I made from the original recipe. Rather than use cream or half and half I chose to use undiluted evaporated milk. I have always found it works beautifully in recipes like this one and there is no risk of it curdling.
It gives a lovely rich flavor with less fat and calories as well.
I also chose not to thicken it with corn starch/flour. I didn't think the soup needed it. I hate soups that eat like gravy. (Like the canned chunky soups. Blech.) Perhaps that is just me. I want my soup/chowder to be like a soup, not a stew. As you can see, it was plenty thick just as is.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY CHEESY SAUSAGE CHOWDER
There is nothing too complicated here. Its all pretty basic. If you know me you know I eschew terribly complicated stuff on the day by day. I save that for special occasions.
- 2 thick mild Italian sausages, skinned
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3 cups (720ml) low sodium chicken stock
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes
- 1 cup (240ml) evaporated milk, undiluted (can use half and half)
- 1 cup (120g) shredded strong cheddar cheese
The sausage meat I used is really lean. If yours is not, you may not need to use the oil. Also taste before you add the salt, just in case. It is always easy to add more salt, but it is not so easy to take it away, so be judicious. Cheese can be very salty as well.
True confession here. I used only 1 large carrot. I thought 2 was a bit much. I thought one was just the right amount.
I have an instant hot/boiled water machine/kettle. I added a stock cube to a cup and used water from that which shortened the cook time somewhat as I did not have to wait for anything to come to the boil. Mine is very much like this one, except it is Japanese.
I had an instant boiled water dispenser in the UK and I am afraid I was rather spoiled by it. I would not be without having instant boiled water at my finger tips now.
I used a pre-grated strong cheddar for convenience. I did not think it would mess too much with the integrity of a dish like this one and I was correct. It worked fine.
You can use a milder cheddar if you wish. I just happen to really like the depth of flavor strong cheddar gives when cooking.
HOW TO MAKE EASY CHEESY SAUSAGE CHOWDER
This is really very simple. If you chop everything up ready to go ahead of time, it also goes together and cooks very quickly. If you wanted to you could chop all of your vegetables the night before and refrigerate them in zip lock baggies. That would make for a really quick and simple supper when you are tired and getting in from work.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. (Should hold at least six cups.) Crumble in the sausage meat and add the onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onion has begun to soften and the sausage is no longer pink. (about 5 minutes.)
Stir in the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook for 1 minute and then add the stock and potatoes.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and leave to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender.
Whisk in the evaporated milk and cheese. Cook, stirring until heated through and the cheese has melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Ladle into heated bowls to serve.
I served mine with some cracker on the side but this would go well with any kind of crusty bread or roll. If you wanted to you could sprinkle a tablespoon of cheddar cheese on top of each individual serving as well.
I cannot recommend this delicious chowder enough! It was simply fabulous. I am serving the leftovers to my father for his supper tonight! I just know he is going to enjoy it!
If you are as big a fan of chowder as I am, you might also enjoy the following delicious chowder recipes!
CHEDDAR & CORN CHOWDER - This recipe is a contest winner from the pages of my Big Blue Binder. It is rich and delicious with just enough of everything you could want in a chowder. It uses ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already . . . onions, potato, frozen corn, butter, flour, milk, and a good cheddar. It is also flavored with cumin seed and bay leaf. Altogether, this is one very delicious chowder and its not hard to see why it won a prize!
SLOW COOKER POTATO AND HAM CHOWDER - Something delicious to pop into the crock pot before you leave for work in the morning. Ready to eat when you get home. A soup which is creamy and has a high potato content to me, is a chowder. A soup or chowder, however you choose to name it, this is one delicious pot of flavors.
Yield: 4
Easy Cheesy Sausage Chowder
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Thick, hearty and delicious. Its also a very economical way to stretch a little bit of sausage meat!
Ingredients
- 2 thick mild Italian sausages, skinned
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3 cups (720ml) low sodium chicken stock
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes
- 1 cup (240ml) evaporated milk, undiluted (can use half and half)
- 1 cup (120g) shredded strong cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. (Should hold at least six cups.) Crumble in the sausage meat and add the onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onion has begun to soften and the sausage is no longer pink. (about 5 minutes.)
- Stir in the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook for 1 minute and then add the stock and potatoes.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and leave to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender.
- Whisk in the evaporated milk and cheese. Cook, stirring until heated through and the cheese has melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required.
- Ladle into heated bowls to serve.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com .
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Hello all and welcome to my final Vintage Menu Madness for September! I have had a lot of fun doing these weekly Vintage Recipe posts and I think you have all enjoyed them as well, so it is a practice I plan on continuing.
For those of you who are just joining me, I am a person who loves vintage cookbooks and vintage recipes. I believe that they hold a lot of value for us and are filled with lovely recipes that we can all still enjoy.
Admittedly we no longer cook vegetables as long as they did in the old days, but that is something which easily remedied without any problem. For the most part they are very sound recipes.
My goal is to, once a week, cook an entire menu (plus recipes) from one of my Vintage Cook Books. It could be one that they themselves have suggested, or it could be one that I have made up myself. In any case, I hope that it will be a delicious glimpse into our culinary history as a culture.
After all, what is the point of having these books, if I never use them!
The menu I am sharing this week comes from the Betty Crockery Good and Easy Cook Book, which was published in 1954. My book is a reprint of the original which I purchased on Amazon.
When I was a child I can remember thinking that Betty Crocker was a real person. She actually was and is not, but instead she is a figure head invented by the company to represent women in general.
Her image has been adapted and changed through the years to present a newer and more modern woman with every rebirth.
Originally created in 1921, her image has been changed and updated a total of eight times, with the latest being in 1996. One thing which hasn't changed however is "her" reputation for presenting us with quality recipes and products.
My Menu for this week came from the Dinner Chapter, for an oven dinner with the main dish focus being on Ground Beef. There were actually 3 separate Ground Beef recipes to choose from. I chose to do meatballs instead of meat loaf. Here is the menu I cooked.
OVEN DINNER
LAZY DAISY MEAT BALLS
SCALLOPED POTATOES
BUTTERED BEETS
PINEAPPLE COLESLAW
LEMON SURPRISE CAKE
SCALLOPED POTATOES
BUTTERED BEETS
PINEAPPLE COLESLAW
LEMON SURPRISE CAKE
The menu really appealed to me. I really enjoy meatballs and I also enjoy scalloped potatoes. Coleslaw is one of my favorite salads and beetroot is one of my absolute favorite vegetables.
I started the scalloped potatoes first as I knew that they would take a lot longer to cook than anything else. Of course you could go the easy route and simply use a boxed mix for the potatoes, but I like to do things from scratch.
I did post a really simple recipe for Easy Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes a week or so ago, but for authenticity I went for one from the book. After all, this is all about the Vintage Recipes. I did vary the recipe slightly by adding some flour to the layers. This was as my mother had always done and if my mother wasn't a vintage cook, I don't know who was!
Yield: 4
Irene's Scalloped Potatoes
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M
A very simple and basic scalloped potato.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups (about 5 medium potatoes) thinly sliced or coarsely grated peeled potatoes
- 1 TBS minced onion
- salt and black pepper
- 2 to 4 TBS butter
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) whole milk, heated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Arrange the potatoes in layers in a buttered 1 1/2 qt/1 1/2 liter baking dish. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper and dot with butter.
- Pour the hot milk over top. Bake uncovered for about 1 1/4 hour until golden brown and the potatoes test tender with the tip of a sharp knife.
Notes
My mother did her scalloped potatoes this exact same way, except she added a sprinkle of flour between each layer. I did as my mother did. This helps to thicken the sauce. I also probably ended up using a bit more butter than the recipe called for.
Who doesn't like a dish of meatballs and gravy? These were really easy to make as well. It basically involved mixing together some ground beef and a few ingredients and shaping them into balls.
You can use gravy browning to give the gravy more color. This is called Kitchen Bouquet. It does give the gravy a nice color without altering the flavor.
The balls were them browned in a small quantity of oil in a skillet and a mix of mushroom soup, water and some gravy coloring was poured over top. They were then left to simmer to tender perfection.
These were really delicious! I normally bake my meatballs in the oven, like these Italian Square Meatballs, so this made a bit of a change from the regular.
Yield: 6
Lazy Daisy Meat Balls
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Tender and flavor filled meat balls in a rich and creamy gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453g) extra lean ground beef
- 1 tsp salt ( I use kosher)
- 1/8 tsp each pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (60g) dry bread or cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 2 TBS grated onion
- flour to roll
- fat to fry in (about 1 TBS)
- 1 (10 1/2 oz/298g) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 soup can of water (about 3 ounces/85ml)
- gravy coloring, if desired
Instructions
- Gently mix together the ground meat, bread crumbs, water, seasonings, onion, and water to combine. Using your hands, divide and shape the mixture into 2 small balls. Roll the balls in flour.
- Heat the fat in a heavy bottomed skillet large enough to hold the balls in one layer. Brown the balls all over in the hot fat. (I used light olive oil.)
- Whisk the soup, water and gravy browning (if using) together until thoroughly combined. Pour over the meat balls.
- Cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
For the beetroot, I opened a can of sliced beetroot and drained it really well. I heated a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan and added the drained beets. I gently heated then through in the butter until hot and then lightly seasoned with a bit of salt and black pepper.
They did not give an exact recipe for the Pineapple Slaw. So I just made their regular recipe for coleslaw and then stirred in a couple of tablespoons of well drained crushed pineapple.
This worked really well. Fruit adds a lovely element to coleslaw. I often add chopped raisins or dates to mine. You can also add chopped or slivered green pepper, grated carrot, or even coconut, all with delicious results.
Yield: 6 servings
Cole Slaw
Crispy, crunchy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1/2 a medium heat of white cabbage (hard cabbage)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 TBS white vinegar
- 1/4 cup (30g) dairy sour cream
- 1/4 cup (55g) salad dressing (mayonnaise)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dash of black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- paprika to sprinkle on top
- 2 heaped TBS of well drained crushed pineapple (for the pineapple slaw)
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage very thin; place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to crisp. (I did this the night before.)
- When you are ready to make your slaw, put the cabbage in a bowl and combine with the onion and vinegar. Stir in the pineapple if using.
- Whisk together the sour cream and the mayonnaise. Stir in the seasonings. Pour this over top of the cabbage and toss to coat. Sprinkle with paprika to serve.
The final element of this menu was the dessert. Lemon Surprise Cake. This was a white cake baked with a lemon filling on the bottom. Mixes were used for both elements of the dessert making it very easy to do.
You need an "quick" lemon pudding and pie filling mix. I was a bit unsure as to what they meant by this. I did not think they meant the cooked one as that would not have been quick. Instead I used an instant lemon pudding mix, and that did work out fine.
I did cut the recipe in half baking it in a 9 inch square baking dish rather than a 9 1/2 by 13 inch dish. I weighed out half the pudding mix and whisked it together with 1 cup of cold milk. I then weighed out half of the cake mix and beat it together with half measures of each ingredient called for on the box.
What follows is the recipe for the full amount.
Yield: one 13 X 9 1/2 X 2 inch cake
Lemon Surprise Cake
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min
White cake baked with a lemon filling beneath.
Ingredients
- 1 (2 layer size) packaged white cake mix, plus ingredients required on the box for the cake
- 1 package (4 serving size) quick lemon pudding mix, plus 2 cups cold milk (480ml)
- confectioner's sugar to sprinkle (icing sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Prepare your pudding mix and spread it over the bottom of a 9 X 13 1/2 X 2 inch baking dish. Let stand while you beat the cake mix together.
- Prepare the cake mix as per the instructions on the box.
- Pour the cake batter evenly over the pudding in the pan, covering it completely. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
- Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve warm.
I enjoyed one portion of this meal myself and then sent the remainder over to my daughter's for she and her husband to enjoy. She was really looking forward to it!
Next week I am pondering cooking a menu from the cookbook I got from my mother when I was much younger than what I am now. It is the Money Saving Cook Book by Ida Allen and was a part of a six volume household encyclopedia. It is the book that started me on my love for vintage menus and recipes!
Be sure to check in next week and see what I came up with!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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