Chicken Soup au Gratin

There are many reasons why I love my readers, the least of which is that they tend to remember things that I don’t. Case in point, recently a reader mentioned that I had posted a recipe from the cookbook of the old Peace 'n Plenty restaurant at Lake of the Ozarks. She had enjoyed their Chicken Soup au Gratin, and asked me if I had that recipe in my cookbook. As it turned out, I did, and sent it to her. This brought to my attention that I had never had that soup in the restaurant, nor had I made it myself. Because I well remember P'nP for having excellent soups, I decided that I was going to make it. So, Sandy, thank you for requesting this recipe, it’s a good one!

As I tend to do, I changed the original up a bit. Below is my version. Yes, it does call for a can of cream soup. Just use it and be done with it. The recipe calls for cream of chicken soup, I didn’t have it, so used cream of mushroom. I can’t imagine there’s that big of a difference. If you only have cream of celery, use that instead. This was a great soup to enjoy this November day with snow falling (can you believe it?!), and a fire in the fireplace.

Chicken Soup au Gratin
Adapted from Peace ‘n Plenty, Lake of the Ozarks, MO

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups water
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 small Melissa’s shallot, minced
1 10.5-ounce can Cream of Chicken soup
½ cup milk or half-and-half
Few gratings freshly ground cracked pepper 

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (grate it yourself)

Simmer chicken in a medium saucepan in salted water until tender; reserve water. Remove chicken and dice. Add vegetables to broth and boil until tender, 8-10 minutes. Gradually stir in soup, milk (or half-and-half), pepper, cheese, and chicken. Heat and stir until cheese melts. Serve.

Serves 4

PRINT RECIPE

Another exceptional recipe from Peace ‘n Plenty is this one for Ham and Cheddar Rolls. So good!

This post contains affiliate links.

Peace 'n Plenty's Ham and Cheddar Rolls

When I was eleven years old my parents bought a house at the lake. A three-and-a-half hour drive from our primary residence, we spent nearly every summer weekend there. Back then, there was little for a young girl to do for entertainment.  Only one strip of activity just south of Bagnell Dam existed.  It was a honky-tonk area called “Dogpatch.” For an eleven-year-old only child, lake life seemed isolated and lonely. I don't think I truly came to appreciate the lake until my friends turned sixteen and were able to drive down on weekends. As I grew and matured, so did the Lake area. Resorts, shops, restaurants, and outlet malls, all served to civilize the place, turning it into a weekend -- or longer -- trip that I anticipated. I grew up there, and then my two boys grew up there, both learning to swim at an early age, as well as catching their first fish, and zipping along the water in the boat. As new shops and eateries emerged, some soon became our favorites, one of which was a charming café called Peace 'n Plenty. Open for lunch only, they served delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, and wonderful ham and cheddar rolls. Over the years they produced a number of cookbooks, and I bought them all, eager to replicate the meals that I had enjoyed during the summer. These rolls are my favorite of all of the recipes, but as they are a bit arduous to make and have a large yield I tended to overlook it.  Last week, having a taste and longing for the past, I decided to adapt it for the bread machine. Success!   Both boys showed up at the door for their share, thoroughly enjoying the delicious bite of nostalgia. 

Peace 'n Plenty's Ham and Cheddar Rolls
Adapted for the Bread Machine

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 pkgs. dry yeast (3-1/2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon baking powder 
2 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 pound thinly sliced ham, diced
2/3 cup chopped scallions
1 egg, beaten

Place above ingredients into the work bowl of your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set machine on "dough" setting and press "start."  When machine has completed the dough making process (usually 90 minutes), remove dough to a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. 

 Spread with butter.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over the buttered surface and then top with the ham. Sprinkle scallions to cover.  Beginning at the long end, roll up as tightly as possible, pinching the seam to seal.  Slice into 1" thick pieces.

Grease well (or spray with Pam) two 6-well muffin tins and two small ramekins or custard cups.  Put one 1" piece into each well, squeezing outer edge slightly so that the middle of the roll "pops" up.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam. Place in a warm spot and allow to raise until doubled in size 40-50 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops of rolls with beaten egg. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and leave in pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Mosaic Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Foodie Friday