Grilled Cheese (Best)

Fabio's decadent make-over of a classic American comfort food reveals great flavor combinations and simple tricks to amp up any boring grilled cheese.
Tips:

• THE BEST CHEESE FOR YOUR SAMMIE: Cheddar, American, and Swiss may be familiar cheeses, but there are so many more to choose from. Try melting triple cream Brie or Colby Jack, for example.
• Use seasoned or cured meats to spice things up! Pepperoni releases tasty oils that the bread absorbs, uniting everything into a delicious sandwich.
• Your bread matters! Choose flavorful loaves to take your sandwich to the next level.
• Use a foil-wrapped brick or Panini press to flatten fluffy breads (like Challah), and trap melted cheese and every bit of flavor.

Grilled CheesePepperoni Grilled Cheese
Recipe by Fabio Viviani
Yield: 1 sandwich
Ingredients:
2 slices Challah bread, sliced ½ -inch thick
1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, sliced 1/3-inch thick (about 5-6

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/ultimate-grilled-cheese-152900220.html;_ylt=AwrTWVVxK5lS_UEA8GghmolQ

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 yellow onions (about 1 3/4 pounds), thinly sliced with the grain to hold their shape
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated Swiss
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• 4 (1-inch thick) baguette slices, cut on the bias

Directions

In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt, cover, and cook until deeply caramelized, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and sprinkle the onions with the flour. Stir and allow to cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the thyme, bay leaf, lemon juice, and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Ladle the soup into 4 ovenproof crocks.
Heat the broiler to high. Mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Top each crock with a baguette slice and evenly distribute the cheese on top of each. Place the crocks under the broiler just until the cheese is bubbly and browning, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian, 2010

3 Hour Chili

3 Hour Chili from Crockpotgirls.com

• 1-2 Pounds of Browned Hamburger Meat
• 1 Cup of Cream of Celery Soup
• 2 Cups of Light Red Kidney Beans
• 1 Cup of Pinto Beans
• 1 Cup of Oregano Garlic Tomatoes
• 1 Cup of Onion Pepper Tomatoes
• 1 Cup of Tomato Sauce (can be left out)
• 1 Pinch of Chili Powder (to taste)
• 1 Pinch of Garlic Salt (to taste)
• 1 Pinch of Oregano (to taste) 

Directions

1. Step One

   Brown the Hamburger with Chili Powder
   

2. Step Two

   Lightly drain most liquid out of beans and tomatoes
   

3. Step Three

   Add a little more chili powder, oregano and garlic salt to taste
   

4. Step Four

   Mix all ingredients together well
   

5. Step Five

   Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
   

Roasted Tomato Bisque

Ingredients

• Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained of their juices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 shallots, quartered
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 to 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the drained whole tomatoes, olive oil, light brown sugar, carrots and shallots, and toss to coat. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until caramelized, about 30 minutes.

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until foaming. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the sherry. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the alcohol has cooked off, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables, crushed tomatoes and 1 cup chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until uniform in texture. Add more chicken stock to adjust the consistency to how you like it.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• One 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 quarts filtered water
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• One 2-by-2-inch piece Parmesan rind
• 7 ounces butternut squash, cubed
• 5 ounces curly kale, chopped
• Two 15-ounce cans great Northern beans, undrained
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Shaved Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into an 8-quart stockpot over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Decrease the heat to low, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the carrots, celery, onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, sage, rosemary and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Add the water, soy sauce and Parmesan rind, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to low, add the squash and kale, cover and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Return the mushrooms to the pot along with the beans and red wine vinegar and cook until all is heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the cheese rind and serve warm with shaved Parmesan.