The life of a hunter’s wife is something all too familiar. The seasons come and the seasons go; weekends spent alone while my outdoorsman sits in a tree, unbathed waiting to snipe out a beautiful herbivorous creature. I ought to be used to it by now, and for the most part I am but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss my bearded, longjohn-wearing hubby. I knew my man would be hungry for a home-cooked meal when he came home last night, so I set to fixin’ him one of his favorite things: Jalapeno Cheese Bread. I had plenty of mashed potatoes left from the holiday, so a cheesy, bacon-laden loaded potato soup I did make.
The “recipe” I came up with is not really a recipe at all. I was making use of some left overs, however this soup may be something I will make again in the near future-it was so delicious! It starts off like my potato and bacon chowder, but contains no other vegetables other than potatoes and onions. I started by satueeing some onions and bacon, threw in some garlic and milk, and plunked the leftover heaps of mashed potatoes into the pot. I allows the mixture to cook through, and pressed the lumps of potatoes against the side of the pot to break them up. I then added 2 cups of finely shredded sharp cheddar to give it even more fat and deliciousness!
The star of the show, however, was the soft and salty, slightly spicy jalepeno cheese bread. This bread is something Troy begs me to make on almost a weekly basis, but rarely do I find the time to do so. In the upcoming winter months, I plan on making quite a few loaves of bread and hearty soups to go with them.
- 9oz. Milk-100 degrees
- 2½ tsp. Active dry yeast
- 18oz Bread flour
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1.5oz Sugar
- 2.5oz Butter-room temp.
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
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- ¼ Cup pickled jalepeno peppers-chopped
- 1 Cup cheddar cheese-grated thick
- ¼ Bread Flour
- Add active dry yeast and honey to milk.
- Stir and allow to foam (about 5 minutes).
- Put flour, butter, sugar, salt, and egg in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the mixer on slow.
- Mix jalepenos, cheese, and ¼ cup flour together, add to bread mixture.
- Turn mixer on medium and allow to knead for about 10 minutes.
- Bread dough should be slightly sticky, but not wet.
- Place in oiled bowl, and cover with saran.
- Keep in a warm place (about 80 degrees) for about an hour (or until dough doubles in size).
- Gently punch down dough and scale out into desired sized loaves or rolls.
- Top with extra cheese and peppers if desired.
- Allow to rise an additional 15 minutes.
- Bake at 425 degrees until browned on top (about 10 minutes for rolls, and 40 minutes for a loaf).
