Cracker Barrel Jalapeno Cheese Soup
14 Comments | Written on December 2, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni
Merry Christmas…or should I say Feliz Navidad!
This holiday season, serve up some south of the border flair with this recipe for “Jalapeno Cheese Soup.” I love to cozy up to a piping hot bowl of soup on a chilly winter day. This recipe spices things up even more with Cracker Barrel‘s newest cheddar cheese variety with the warm, rich heat of red and green jalapenos.
You can enjoy this recipe any time of year, but during the holidays I like to give the soup a special garnish. Follow the step-by-step instructions below and learn how to make a “Christmas Tree” pepper!
Take this recipe and make it a complete meal. Serve Mexican Street Corn on the side, whip up some Tamarind Margaritas, or make my favorite Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding for dessert!
For more great holiday entertaining tips, be sure to visit the Cracker Barrel “Host the Holidays” group. Also, if you love Mexican cuisine, be sure to check out some of the other fantastic groups on our site!
CRACKER BARREL JALAPENO CHEESE SOUP (click here to view and print recipe)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup diced peeled tomato
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounce can chopped green chiles, undrained
6 Tablespoons butter
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups coarsely grated Cracker Barrel Jalapeno Cheddar cheese
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, place broth, onion, tomato, garlic, and green chiles. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat and stir in flour. Return to heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the hot milk, adding 1/2 cup at a time. Cook and stir about 6-7 minutes until smooth and thickened. Remove broth mixture from heat and stir in the milk mixture, about one fourth at a time. Return to heat and add remaining 1-1/2 cups milk, salt, pepper, and cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and soup is well heated. Do not boil.
Serve immediately, or let cool and refrigerate with plastic wrap directly on surface of soup. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat soup over low heat just until hot. Garnish as desired. Serves 8.
How to Make a Pepper “Tree” Garnish:
1) Start with a poblano pepper. The natural shape lends itself well to cutting out a “Christmas Tree” garnish for the soup.
2) Cut off the top and slice in half lengthwise.
3) Use the narrow tip of the pepper as the top of the tree.
4) Cut out small triangles down one side of the pepper.
5) Continue cutting out the same shapes on the other side of the pepper. You should have an adorable “Christmas Tree” shaped pepper garnish when you are done! Before serving soup, gently lay a “Christmas Tree” pepper in each bowl. It is a fun and festive twist for your holiday meal, and your guests will love it!
Categories:
Better Recipes | Tags: Easy Soup Recipes, Mexican Dishes, Mexican Recipes, Soup Recipes, Vegetable Soup Recipes
14 Comments | Post Your Comment
14 Responses to “Cracker Barrel Jalapeno Cheese Soup”
The soup sounds delicious but I have to admit… I LOVE the Christmas tree garnish!! So cute!!
So cute . . . love making decorations out of food.
That tree garnish is too cute!
I just love your tree! That might actually get my girls eating green peppers!
Looks delicious and I love the Christmas tree garnish! Great job with the blog Kristina and congrats on all of your successes- I just added your site to my blogroll!
Hi Sonali! Great to hear from you
Hope all is well in both medicine and food! My sister is moving back to NYC so I will be in the area here and there. We should meet up at some point soon!
That would be great! Shoot me an email when you’re in town-we can meet up for lunch or coffee. Hope you’re doing well!
Soooo cute with that tree garnish! The soup sounds great
That poblano-Christmas tree is too great. Now I just have to make soup!
[...] wreath for a party? Maybe serve a cheesy brunch casserole to overnight guests? Ladle up a warm bowl of soup on a chilly winter day? Or make a fun cheese ball for your next [...]
why is jalapeno in the name i don’t see any in the recipe. is the recipe incomplete?
You use jalapeño Cracker Barrell cheese.
i had seen that but with the other chiles list in the recipe i thought the jalapenos would be more prominent than the others. i guess since there isn’t a TM after the cheese i was confused. the packaging has the jalapeno listed b4 the cracker barrel and the recipe has it listed the other way and i am a moron and expected more jalapenos. thx
Kim did you see the bar of “Cracker Barrel Jalopeno Cheese”?