Not-So-Mini-Strone & Dangerous Biscuits

Tonight's dinner was "Not-So-Mini-strone" and some "Dangerous Biscuits" --- I'll get into the dangerous part later.

There is nothing better on a cold, yucky day, than warm soup. And even better, one of those more-ingredients-than-you-can-point-out-in-the-bowl soups. This is my own version of minestrone....since I have carnivorous menfolk in this house, I upped the meat content.

1 onion
3 cloves garlic
4-5 slices of bacon
4 carrots
4 stalks of celery with tops
1 1/2 c frozen, chopped spinach
2 (14 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1 carton beef broth
1 round steak, cubed
1/2 c barley
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
about 3/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp dry parsley
2 c water
2 white potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 14 oz can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed

First, chop up the onions, carrots, celery, bacon and finely mince the garlic.

In a large dutch oven/stew pot - begin cooking bacon. Stir in onions and garlic. If it sticks, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil.

When the onions and garlic have softened, stir in the carrots, celery, spinach and tomatoes.....oh look at all the colors~! How pretty~!

Cook the veggies for a minute or so, stirring occasionally, then add in broth, seasonings, water, barley and cubed round steak. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour. After an hour, add in the cubed potatoes.

Take the rinsed and drained beans, and put about 1/3 of them into the soup. The remaining beans, put in a bowl. Ladle out about 1/4 c of the broth into the bowl, and mash the beans in the broth until you have a soupy mush. Add back to the pot.

Cook stew another 30 minutes.

Now for those dangerous biscuits......"And why are they so dangerous?" you may be asking yourself....because these biscuits are so good, they may cause heart palpitations! I warn you now, if you have a weak heart, stop now! ;-)

Do you see those wet and gooey spots?

No, those aren't undercooked biscuits......that's ooey gooey CHEESE!

To go with the minestrone, I took my "winning biscuits" and worked in about 1 1/2 c of grated cheese, and then baked them.

Oh! These were SO incredibly delicious! Do you see those strings of cheese???

Oh be still my heart! Did you know I am from Wisconsin, and all people from Wisconsin love cheese.

We have to.

It's a law or something.