Copycats

Panera's (Bread Co) Cream Cheese Potato Soup

When I found this recipe last week on recipezaar.com, it was listed as the most popular recipe on the site. The reviews said it was outstanding, so I had to try it. Scott and I both agreed that this soup is outstanding, but it tastes absolutely nothing like Bread Co's soup. However, it is still one of the best potato soups I have ever had. My only complaint about it was it was too spicy for me. Next time I will probably leave out the red pepper. I served it with sourdough bread bowls from Companion bread (sold at Dierbergs), but I didn't really care for those. Next time I will swing by Bread Co and buy a couple of their bread bowls.



4 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes (I used 4 large baked potatoes)
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into chunks (I used 12oz of light cream cheese)

Combine broth, potatoes, onion, and spices.

Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.

Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening. (I smashed the majority of them)

Reduce to low heat.

Add cream cheese.

Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.


Imo's Pizza

I could honestly eat pizza every day for every meal, if only my metabolism would allow me to! Imo's is by far my favorite, but I always thought it tasted better when you ate at Imo's and got it fresh out of the oven. So, when my parents told me about Roma pizza crusts I was excited to try them. In my opinion, the pizza turned out better than an Imo's pizza. I haven't ordered an actual Imo's pizza since I started making these.



All you need is a Roma pizza crust, Imo's cheese, Imo's pizza sauce and your favorite pizza toppings. You can find all of these at Schnucks or Dierbergs, but Shop N Save only carries the cheese. At Dierbergs the pizza crusts are in the frozen pizza section and at Schnucks they are in the deli section or an aisle end cap (usually the first aisle). I think Schnucks keeps the sauce in the deli section too. I think my parents brush their crusts with a little olive oil and put them in the oven for a few minutes to make it extra crispy. When it is warm outside, they like to make their pizzas on the BBQ pit.



The next two recipes I have not made in a while, but they taste so much like the original that I had to share them with you. :)


Sonic Cherry Limeade

1 can cold Sprite
3 lime wedges (1/8 of a lime)
1/4 cup cherry juice (Libby's Juicy Juice is best)

Fill a 16oz glass 2/3 full of ice. Pour Sprite over ice. Add the juice of the limes and then drop them into the glass. Add the cherry juice and stir. Makes one 16oz drink.


Wendy's Frosty

1/2 cup of milk
4 tsp Nesquik chocolate drink mix
2 cups vanilla ice cream

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed, stopping to stir several times with a long spoon, if necessary to help the ingredients blend well. Makes one serving.