Classics reimagined for new (sports) seasons

Even thought it has felt like a long, wet California winter, these days.we mark the season more with sports seasons than with weather.  Big played her first year of high school varsity basketball, Middle played her first year of middle school basketball, and now the younger two are playing another season of basketball on co-ed teams at the YMCA.  We spend 5 nights a week at the Y between practice & games for two teams so that has impacted the way I meal plan.  One night, I need something that's ready almost as soon as we get home from practice, other nights, I need something everything can eat at different times, and still other nights, we eat early before we go to basketball.  That's not to say that we don't grab Chick-Fil-A once in awhile or order a pizza, but I try really hard to save eating out for a treat on the weekends.

One of my go-to weeknight meals is a pot of green soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.  Still, almost any time I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, the answer is "green soup."  The girls *may* be a little tired of it so I've switched up my recipe to a new version that we all like.  I usually make a big batch of grilled cheese to go with it because while green soup is delicious, high in nutrients, and low in calories, I don't want to feed my kids again before bedtime so they need something more to go with it.  In addition to getting a little tired of my old green soup, Big informed me that she's "never liked grilled cheese" (can any parents of teenagers relate to this sort of announcement?). So, now I make baked turkey & cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls.  Same concept - warm sandwich that can be made in the oven with minimal hands on time.

The great thing about these soups & sandwiches is that most of the ingredients I have on hand, I don't need a recipe anymore, and it comes together fast.  Below you'll find the recipes (or concept) for the "new" green soup and "new" sandwiches but if you want to see the originals as well, here are the links:

Green Soup

How to make Grilled Cheese in the oven in a big batch

Creamy Kale & Potato Soup (4-6 servings)

Note:  The main difference between this green soup and the other one is the use of potatoes instead of rice as the starch and the addition of some dairy - you can substitute non-dairy milk / creams if that's an issue for you or just use more broth and leave it out altogether.

1 T olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock / broth

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup milk

2 large handfuls of kale (stems removed and chopped)

black pepper

cooked bacon (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a big pot and add the onion and potatoes.  Cook for 10 minutes or so until softened.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two.  Add the broth and scrape up anything on the bottom of the pot.  Let it simmer for 10-15minutes or until the potato is soft.  Add the kale and stir and cook until it's all wilted (3-5 minutes).  Using an immersion blender, blend it until smooth (or you can transfer it to a blender and then back to the pot).  Add the milk, season with pepper to taste, and warm it back up.  Serve with cooked bacon as a garnish.

Turkey & Cheese Sliders

In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter and add 1/2 T of Worcestershire and 1/2 T of dijon mustard.  Set aside.

Cut an entire bag of Hawaiian rolls in half lengthwise and remove the top.  Spread with yellow mustard.  Top with deli turkey and sliced cheese.  Replace the top of the bread.  Brush over the melted butter mixture and sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until toasted and melty.