White Cheddar & Asiago Chowder with Sausage, Ham & Oven-Roasted Veggies

 

Hey! It worked!! I really wasn’t sure how everything would work out roasting all together. I was afraid some things would get too done and burn, and have some not get all the way done and still be hard in the middle. But everything came out beautifully done all at the same time!

What a time saver and all on one tray!! This soup couldn’t be easier. Still surprised!

Don’t you just love days like that?!!

I rarely have them, something always goes even little wrong — sometimes a LOT wrong – – so when everything goes smooth as silk….I’m wondering when the earthquake is going to hit. 

Still waiting for that earthquake this time, though! Because it actually worked! And quite well, too! I simply just sliced and diced veggies of choice, added in some Mild Italian Sausage Slices from Johnsonville, threw them onto a sprayed tray, tossed them with oil and herbs, and into the oven they went!

While they roasted, I set up the pot of what was going to be chowder with some stock, cream, garlic, cheeses and ham, and when the veggies were done, into the pot they went. Wah-lah. No boiling this, sautéing that, steaming these, and dirtying half the pans in the house! Everything roasted together. I was so relieved!!

The flavor of course was better than usual, too, so this is going to be my new method of starting a pot of soup from here on out. 😉

The only things to know are *to cut them all the same size, *size depends on how done they get (completely tender through or crisp-tender), *use enough oil so they don’t stick, and *stir gently once or twice while roasting.

That’s all there is to it.

I even roasted shallots in the whole beautiful mess and even they didn’t burn. Neither did the mushrooms which I was also worried about.

And the carrots, brussels sprouts and red potatoes got tender all the way through, just how we like them done for soup.

And those sausage slices that the kind folks at Johnsonville sent me to try worked out perfectly! I didn’t even have to thaw them and they nicely browned and were beautifully done! HUGE time-saver and very tasty little slices to boot!!

I received their new Mild Italian ones to give a try and review, and we love them! A shout out to J-Ville – – Thank you so very much!! You all ROCK!!  😀 

 

 

Can you tell I’m still shocked and a “wee bit” excited? I’ve roasted veggies many times before, just not such a wide variety, along with sausage, all at the same time, temp, and on the same tray!

Now we know we can roast about anything we’d like all together creating tons of different flavor combinations! Zucchini, asparagus, fresh green beans and pea pods, tomatoes, eggplant, turnips, broccoli and cauliflower will all be fun to play with!

Diced meats can also be added I’m sure. Why not, right? Diced, sliced, cubed or julienned they too would get done no problem provided they’re cut the same size, too! 

I admit though, that I did feel a little bit guilty about adding all these gorgeous veggies into a pot of soup. But it was already planned and in action, so there was no turning back!

And I had some extra cream still hanging out in the fridge that I had to use up leftover from the holidays. But it turned out to be one of the best pots of soup I’ve ever made, so the guilt quickly melted away!

But if you want, you can just do the veggies, with or without meat, and eat them as a side dish or meal-in-one just as is. Or toss them with little cooked whole grain pasta or serve over rice and you’ve got dinner in a FLASH. 

All beautifully roasted and simply GORGEOUS! See what I mean??!

 

 

Next time I’ll try them over some fluffy rice or tossed with quinoa, or maybe a nice farfalle (bow tie), conchiglie (shell), or penne pasta for sure.

In the summertime, they’ll be fantastic with fresh herbs and tomatoes picked red-ripe from the garden and a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice, and then maybe served over some nice grilled salmon! Soooo many ways to play!

So I do hope you enjoy the chowder, or play with this, too, and turn them into something totally different and super fun! They’d even be good on a pizza, or a filling for burritos, or even a breakfast omelet! The possibilities really are endless! Hope you all enjoy and have a blast in the kitchen today!  Take care! 😀

 

WHITE CHEDDAR & ASIAGO CHOWDER with SAUSAGE, HAM & OVEN-ROASTED VEGGIES

Makes one 6 quart pot (soup fills to 2″ from top)

 

For Oven-Roasted Veggies and Sausage:

2 large shallots, peeled and coarse chopped

8 oz. carton sliced fresh mushrooms

10-12 oz. fresh brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, outer leaves removed and quartered down through core

8 oz. bag baby carrots, cut into fourths, (more if desired/up to 12 oz.)

2 large red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into small bite-sized pieces

2 cups Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Slices, unthawed

1/3 cup light salad oil or olive oil

1/2 Tbl. dried Italian seasoning

1/2 Tb. dried oregano

1/2 Tbl. dried thyme, crushed between fingers and thumb

1/2 tsp. dried Herbs De Provence

1/2 Tbl. coarse ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

 

To Stock Pot Add:

26 oz. carton chicken stock

2 Tbl. Superior Touch better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup flour

1 Tbl. minced garlic

1 large bay leaf

2 cups fully cooked diced ham

1 (8 oz.) block white cheddar, shredded, (about 2 cups)

1/3 cup fresh grated asiago cheese

 

DIRECTIONS:

For Oven-Roasted Veggies and Sausage:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a large baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray. (I use Crisco’s.) Cut and chop all veggies and place on to tray with frozen sausage slices. Drizzle evenly with oil. Sprinkle evenly with herbs, pepper and salt. Toss to coat all evenly. Spread out on tray evenly. If they seem just a bit dry, just spray top with cooking spray.

Pop into oven and roast for 30 minutes stirring 2-3 times. Remove from oven and add to already prepared pot.

For Pot:

While veggies and sausages are roasting, add chicken stock to pot, and turn stovetop to medium-high heat. Whisk in bouillon base. Whisk together cream and flour, add to pot. Add garlic, bay leaf and ham. Bring just to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Add tray of veggies and sausage, add in both cheeses. Simmer on low for 10 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted and blended in stirring gently and occasionally.

Ladle into bowls and serve with grated asiago on top and crusty bread for sopping! 

*Oven-Roasted Veggies can also be served tossed with pasta, quinoa or over rice. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and grated cheese of choice if desired.