https://www.swingingwiththedishes.com/home daily 1.0 2021-07-17 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60c9531024e4854b715a28a9/1623806802532/IMG_2787.jpg Home https://www.swingingwiththedishes.com/about daily 0.75 2021-07-02 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60de6901d779dd18d0682e10/1625189733893/image0.jpeg About - Welcome to Swinging With the Dishes! This is the place where we explore food, challenge one another, test cooking gadgets, and try out new techniques and cuisines. From a love of historic food to exploring the world through its collective taste buds, we hope to share our adventures with our fellow foodies and have some fun along the way. Lori Hallas is a creative adventurer who is most happy when creating delicious dishes, making art, writing, gardening, hiking, and travelling. She believes that life is most worthwhile when exploring or being hands-on with the world. https://www.swingingwiththedishes.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-07-17 https://www.swingingwiththedishes.com/photos daily 0.75 2021-07-17 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d7995807/1560893245635/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Large_844979.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d7995801/1560893259473/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Original_845038.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fb/1560800479533/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Original_845117.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fd/1560893280544/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Original_845127.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d79957ff/1560800479543/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Original_934801.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d799580b/1560800479568/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Original_845128.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d7995805/1560800479558/13.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d7995803/1560800479552/2.jpg Photos https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/60f26ec96c177f33d79957fa/60f26ec96c177f33d7995809/1560893294809/Stocksy_txp824ffa5crXt000_Large_844924.jpg Photos https://www.swingingwiththedishes.com/recipes daily 0.75 2021-07-06 https://www.swingingwiththedishes.com/recipes/challenge-1-cheeseburger-in-a-bowl monthly 0.5 2021-07-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60e789c28ad60325f0c15a07/1625787008743/Cheeseburger+Soup.jpg Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Cheeseburger in a Bowl This soup needed to have the comfort of home cooking and be addictive like a fast food burger. I didn’t want to leave out the bun, so I chose to top it with fluffy dumplings and toasted sesame seeds. I think the end result was rich and creamy and hit all the notes I was looking for. I made sure to include the burger toppings which I deemed necessary for the taste of a cheeseburger, since so many soups I found online were basically just hamburger, processed cheese, and random vegetables. I think I came pretty close! *On a side note, this dish could easily be made vegetarian or even vegan. To do so, substitute the beef with veggie ground round, the bacon with soy based bacon bits, the broth with vegetable broth, the milk with any vegetarian milk, and the butter, cheddar and cream cheese with vegan versions. I’m willing to bet it would still taste delicious! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f0f997e9ec2a4c2bd77795/1626406521892/DSC_0292.jpg Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Prep the ingredients I began the process of making this soup by chopping the veggies. The pickles and onions, I diced. The dill and parsley were finely chopped (although dried herbs will also work fine in this recipe). I thinly sliced the bacon, but it could be diced too or left out all together, and it would still be delicious! I used homemade dill pickles, but any tangy pickle that would work on a cheeseburger will taste great! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f0faa9425b7b7417836934/1626409657079/DSC_0308.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Crisp up the Bacon The bacon needed to be rendered out and cooked until almost crispy in a large pot over medium heat. When it reached our desired crispiness, it was removed with a slotted spoon to paper towels. I poured off all of the fat except for a couple of tablespoons to cook the onions in. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f0fb9b3710375a26a576be/1626406446972/DSC_0309.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Soften the Onions By this point there should be a lot of bacon fat in the pan and some fond (the little browned bits of flavour) should be forming on the bottom of the pot. I sautéed the onions until they were transparent and starting to brown around the edges a little. The moisture from the onions de-glazed the pan while they cooked. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f0febd44f13e0787b09f83/1626406683458/DSC_0320.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Add the Beef! This is the part where the beef goes in. I chopped the beef to break it up while it cooked. Whether to use regular or lean beef for this recipe is a personal choice. If regular beef is used and has too much fat, it can always be drained off after it is fully cooked and before the next step. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f0ff7a311eab0d81aa193d/1626406843349/DSC_0323.jpg Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Make it a soup I stirred in the cream cheese at this point. It may seem like an odd ingredient in a cheeseburger, but it plays a couple of important roles in this broth. It makes the soup creamy, because if it was made with milk and pickle brine, the milk would likely curdle. It also stabilizes the broth so that it doesn’t split when the dumplings are cooking after the cheese is added. You really can’t tell it’s in there when the soup is finished, but it has to be melted into the meat mixture before adding the broth or it might remain lumpy in the finished product. Once the cream cheese was mixed in, I added the broth. It is very important to use a low sodium broth here, because the cheese and the pickle brine will make it too salty if the broth is already salted. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f10022425b7b741783b3f1/1626407069394/DSC_0326.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Add the condiments The pickles, ketchup, and mustard were added in here. The ground black pepper went in too. Once it was all combined, I stirred in the pickle brine. Then I let it simmer for 10 minutes to combine the flavours. It shouldn’t be a full boil at this point, but it should be bubbling a bit. If it is clear that there is not enough broth, this would be the time to add more, but keep in mind that it needs to be thick enough to be a creamed soup. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f101069392da325e94edc4/1626407247785/DSC_0338.jpg Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Making Dumplings While the soup was simmering, I mixed up some basic dumplings. I combined the flour, baking powder, onion salt (garlic salt would also work), and parsley in a medium bowl. In the recipe, I suggest melting the butter and adding it next before the milk. I melted it into the milk, which also worked, though it probably would be better to add it separately in case not all of the milk is needed to make the dough. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f101d0b0b7347a52233cad/1626407462185/DSC_0341.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Finish the Dough When the dough comes together, it’s ready. It shouldn’t be over-mixed or the dumplings may be too dense and tough. I set this dough aside while finishing the soup. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f1024d9014c44c528e1aa0/1626408457287/DSC_0343.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Add some Herbs This soup is going to be very rich and creamy, so adding some fresh herbs helps cut through the richness a bit. It also adds some lovely colour to the soup. I stirred in the fresh parsley and dill here. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f103f97ffd90482e35c900/1626407987497/DSC_0346.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Make it bacon If there is going to be bacon in this soup, this is when to add it. I really liked the addition of bacon to the soup for some smokiness, but it is entirely optional. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f10456f32be22f00752c76/1626408085256/DSC_0349.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Make it Cheesy! It wouldn’t be cheeseburger soup without cheese, so now is the time to add it in. I used a sharp cheddar in ours, and I highly recommend it for maximum cheesiness, though medium or mild would work too if that’s what you are into. I’m sure this would be delicious with any favourite cheese or blend of cheeses. Whichever is going in, it’s important to stir it until it is completely melted into the broth. The soup needs to be at a simmer, but it should not be boiling once the cheese is added. If it is too hot, the temperature needs to be lowered. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f104cafe1af12ac2c208a4/1626408207000/DSC_0351.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Add some “buns” While the broth was at a low simmer, I used two spoons to drop tablespoons of the dumpling mixture onto the soup. I closed the lid to allow the dumplings to cook without peeking for about 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling came out clean. If the dumplings need longer, put the lid back on and give them a few more minutes. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bc67f3fec0673d7db83404/t/60f10544c699444e2e4044ed/1626408339922/DSC_0355.JPG Recipes - Challenge #1: Cheeseburger in a Bowl - Eat Up! The soup is complete! We served it with a couple of dumplings in each bowl. We garnished it with parsley and toasted sesame seeds. Sliced pickles or chopped onions would also be great on top!