Homemade Cream of _____ Soup Substitute - Dairy Free

I know at least one of you had asked for this recipe, and I am adding it here so I can find it again in the future. It is SO yummy and easy to make. It also uses ingredients that I usually have in my house. I used this to make a dairy-free chicken and rice casserole, and it was delicious. Just to kind of creamy comfort food that I miss on our dairy-free diet. Can be gluten free if you use a gluten-free flour.

The original recipe is for Cream of Chicken, but if you look at the end, there are notes for making Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Celery, too.

Originally from mywisemom.com

Ingredients (yields 4 cups, approx 2 cans)

• 2-1/2 cups organic chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cups flour (gluten-free, if needed)
• 1 teaspoon real salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 cup cooked mushrooms (optional)
• 1/4 cup cooked celery (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken broth with 1/2 cup of the almond milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
2. Whisk the flour and seasonings into the remaining cup milk until smooth. The mixture will be thick.
3. Pour the milk/flour/seasoning mixture into the broth mixture in the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Stir/whisk continuously as it simmers to avoid lumps.
4. Continue whisking 5-10 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thick.

For cream of mushroom, add 1/4 cup cooked mushrooms after the mixture is taken off the stove, before it thickens.For cream of celery, add 1/4 cup diced, cooked celery pieces after the mixture is taken off the stove, before it thickens.

Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Bourbon Sauce

This is the recipe we had to celebrate P's birthday. It is originally from my recipes.com. I tripled the recipe for the birthday dinner (7 adults, 6 kids), but we ended up having about 3/4 of a pan left.

Bread pudding:5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread (about 8 ounces)
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk 
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk (I used almond milk since that's what we had)
1/3 cup granulated sugar 
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs

Sauce:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
6 tablespoons half-and-half, divided 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Cooking spray 
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bread pudding, arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted. (I did this ahead of time)

3. Combine evaporated milk and next 7 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add bread cubes. Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to soak up milk. (I did this ahead of time... but I wouldn't recommend transporting it!)

4. To prepare sauce, combine brown sugar, 3 tablespoons bourbon, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Stir in 5 tablespoons half-and-half; simmer 10 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup. Remove pan from heat. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon half-and-half, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Keep warm.

5. Spoon half of bread mixture into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 3 tablespoons sauce over bread mixture. Spoon remaining half of bread mixture over sauce. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm sauce with bread pudding.