Outback (CopyCat) Walkabout Soup and Healthy Egg Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

Happy Friday Peeps! Hope you are as hungry as I am!  I am heading into week#6 of no real food intake since my December 22nd gastric sleeve surgery.  Truly, looking forward the day I can crunch on a salad!  Surgery or not, it is not stopping me from cooking!

As promised, I will be posting two recipes each week that I make.  One of my goals in 2015 is to take control of my food intake and making a more diligent effort in cooking rather than eating at  restaurants or take out!  Here is my first week of recipes! 

  Outback (Copycat) Walkabout 

Cream Onion Soup 

We finally started to have our real Midwest winter here, as we experience our first snowfall of 2015, below zero temperatures, and gusty winds.  Immediately I go into soup making mode (especially since I am in the blended food stage of my post surgery diet!)  This is not a new recipe for the Hickman kitchen, I have been making this recipe for at least the last five years and there is never any soup leftovers to even freeze for future use!  

 

SOUP INGREDIENTS

2 cups of yellow sweet onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of butter

1 (15 ounce can) of chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon of salt, pepper

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/4 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed and compressed in measuring cup

1 1/2-1 3/4 cups of white sauce (recipe below)

cheddar cheese as garnish on top of soup

WHITE SAUCE INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

DIRECTIONS for Soup

In 2-quart saucepan, place butter and sliced onions.  Saute on low to medium heat, stir frequently.  Onions should be soft and clear but not browned.

Add chicken broth, chicken bouillon cubes, salt and pepper.  Stir until completely heated through.

Add white sauce and Velveeta cheese which will thicken the soup to its creamy consistency.  Simmer on medium-low heat until cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended, stir constantly. 

Turn temperature down to warm and let simmer for 30-45 minutes.

DIRECTIONS for White Sauce

In a 1-quart saucepan, melt butter and add flour.  Cook on medium heat until the flour turns thick and comes away from the side of the pan.

Slowly add the milk, a little at a time and stir constantly.  Remember not to rush this part, stir constantly, this will prevent the white sauce from becoming  lumpy!  Add Salt.

Mixture should be thicken and become like a thick pudding consistency.  Remove from heat and set aside to be added to the soup later.

**Add On Garnishes**
Russian Dark Bread
Cheddar Cheese on top of soup
Croutons
Sliced up shallots
Serve with biscuits
bacon bits

Healthy Egg Muffin Sandwiches

 I currently commute to Chicago which is a 1.5 hour trip on the train, so time is precious.  Making premade grab and go meals is part of my life especially at 5:30 in the morning! 

This recipe is super versatile so feel free to substitute in your favorite meat or veggies.

Here is one of my favorites freezer friendly meals!

INGREDIENTS

Egg whites (or cracked eggs)

Salt
Pepper
Mrs. Dash (original blend)
Light American Cheese or shredded cheese

Pick a meat, suggestions: ham slices, turkey bacon, lean chicken slices, turkey sausage patties
Add any finely chopped up veggies you like.

Light English Muffins

DIRECTIONS

Set your oven for 350 degrees.

Pour egg whites in a bowl, sprinkle in pinch of salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash.  Mix together.  You may want to add some veggies, shredded cheese into your egg batter.  Maybe some spinach? Mushrooms?  Onions? 

Use a cupcake tray and spray with Pam.  Or if you prefer a wider egg base, you can make the eggs in the microwave by using a  Tupperware container and cooking in microwave for 45-60 seconds.

Pour egg white mixture in cupcake tins, about 3/4 full, leave a little room because the eggs will fluff up while cooking! I cook my eggs on the oven for about 20 minutes, I always make sure that the eggs are a sponge like fluffiness.  If you prefer, you can also crack an egg and  bake as well!

While the eggs are cooking, toast each of your muffins in the toaster.  I create an assembly line of toasted muffins, lay the American cheese and 2 slices of ham on each.

Another option instead of muffins, is substituting with toast, or homemade biscuits!

Once the eggs are cooked, pop them out of the tin and place on the bottom part of the toasted muffin.  Let cook down and packet on a Ziploc bag to freeze!

Once you are at work, take muffin out of bag, wrap in a moist paper towel and cook in microwave for 30-45 seconds until heated to your liking!