Nothing beats the winter blahs better than comfort food.
For my gathering last week, I took the easy route. My cooking mantra is that if I can buy something ready made that tastes better than I can make it, I will. I can then spend more time cooking or baking something else that is amazing. For this meal I chose deli soups from my local Safeway; baked potato chowder and tomato bisque. What made them extra special was the presentation and the details.
For the baked potato chowder, I added toppings to choose from; shredded cheese, chopped green onions, and crispy cooked crumbled bacon. I offered up grilled cheese croutons for the tomato soup. I simply made a yummy grilled cheese sandwich on artisan sourdough bread, and cut into small cubes, then stacked on wooden skewers.
This way, we all had the option of eating the little grilled cheeses on the side, or in our soup!
So cute.
And, so yummy.
A basket of "Everything Crackers from world Market, and sliced sourdough bread completed the main course.
The real show stopper was dessert. I made homemade toasted coconut marshmallows from this Ina Garten recipe. The Barefoot Contessa is my all-time favorite, and let me tell you, homemade marshmallows are actually easy to make.
We roasted them over the fire pit, then smooshed them in between a graham cracker and a bit of a chocolate bar, and oh, my.The marshmallows hold their shape, and then, when you bite into fresh-off-the-fire gooey goodness, they disolve into a heavenly clod in your mouth.
They were dee-lish.
