Published 2011-10-10T19:42:00Z”/>
Taylor Western
The change in weather makes me really excited, because it seems like the ideal time to make my butternut squash soup.
This soup is a perfect cold weather meal, and I started making it years ago with my dad once I was old enough to make Thanksgiving dinner with him. We have made various butternut squash soup recipes, but the big difference in this one is topping the soup with the sour cream and French onions, because it gives it a tart yet creamy taste.
I got a lot of the ingredients from WinCo and some from the Chico Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. What’s great about the market is that a lot of the produce is in season, and vegetables such as potatoes, onions and squash tend to be a lot cheaper here.
Going to this market once the weather gets cold is a great idea, because students can get lots of vegetables for cheap and make a variety of soups.
A lot of students think the only way to eat soup is from a can or a package of ramen noodles. Many would be surprised how fast and cheap making your own soup really is, and if they did it once, they’d definitely make a habit out of it.
Students can make several mixed vegetable soups, chowders or stews without all the extra sodium and with tons of fresh healthy vegetables and yummy pastas. The best part of making soup in the colder seasons is that you can make a large amount at the end of the weekend and have meals set up for the rest of the week, while even more leftovers can be frozen. Believe me, having a few meals frozen for whenever you need them really comes in handy when you’re busy studying for finals and midterms or if you’re short on cash at the end of the month.
I also added a baked potato recipe to provide a fast, easy option for the use of the extra ingredients.
<strong>What to do with leftovers:</strong>
Leftovers can be used to make potatoes au gratin. The 10-pound bag of potatoes for $1.98 from WinCo is a great way to get a lot for your money. For this recipe, peel and slice five or six potatoes. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add a couple of garlic cloves and the remaining half of your serrano. Add remainder of your half-and-half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Layer sliced potatoes and sprinkle first layer with cheese. Finish layering and pour cream over. Top with cheese and French onions and bake in oven for 350 F for about an hour.
<hr />
<strong>Taylor Western can be reached at</strong>
<em>[email protected]</em>
