Four years ago we went to the 1 dish dinner on Christmas Eve and these are a few reasons for Christmas Eve to stay a soup dinner in the decades to come.
1. The dishes are easy to clean up (as long as you have the dishwasher empty)
2. If you make two pots everyone is bound to be happy with one of them
3. Nothing is a better accompaniment to sourdough bread grilled cheese or all-day rain
4. All food groups can be compiled into one (these photos make the soup look a little gross but they were really delicious)
5. If doubled and everyone has eaten Christmas candy throughout the day, soup will be plentiful for days. This would be the current situation in the Sloop/Johnson household.
And since Andrew and I never take pictures together that don’t include one of our arms holding the camera we got Kathryn to snap a pic.
One additional documentation point because Kathryn did such beautiful centerpieces this year (lemons at Christmas are my new favorite)–here’s a snap of her artwork for our family’s posterity.
Merry Christmas!
Christmas Eve 2012 Cheese Soup
1/2 c. grated carrots (I got lazy and ended up chopping these into tiny pieces)
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 onion chopped
1/4 c. butter
6 Tbsp. flour
2 c. milk
2 c. chicken broth
3/4-1 lb of Velveeta cheese diced or Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Saute onions, carrots, and celery in butter. Stir in flour, milk, and chicken broth. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cheese. Stir to blend. If it seems to thick, add a little more chicken broth or water. Simmer on low for 30 minutes to 1 hour being careful not to let the bottom burn.
Suggestions from the Sister: (1) The Cheese Soup would be fantastic in a bread bowl. (2) A hypothesis of combining the two for a positive outcome was tested by Kathryn and determined that it could be something served at Dos Taquitos–one of the highest compliments one can get on Christmas Eve.
The Bibliography: My Aunt Dot
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