Grandparents’ Day: Cook Up Something Grand
“No matter how much you eat, your grandma won’t believe that you’re not hungry.”
We came across this quote the other day, and thought that nothing could be further from the truth! It always seems as if all grandparents have a competition over who can stuff their grandkids more.
But then again, that’s one of the lovable things about grandparents. What better way to show that you care about someone than to offer them lots of yummy food? (We’re not gonna lie – we’re probably going to be just like that someday…if we’re not already!)
After all, food is a great way to bring everyone to the table, to enjoy each other’s company and spend quality time with each other.
So in honor of Grandparents’ Day today, we put together a menu that you can make for the important people in your life.
We start off with a creamy and healthy Pureed Broccoli and Celeriac Soup and a refreshing, crisp Citrus and Avocado Salad. The main course is a fancy (but easy!) Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu that is sure to impress everyone. Served with a side of Sauteed Garlicky Swiss Chard, this is meal that your grandparents are sure to love.
The steps to these recipes have been combined, so that it you can make them all together. Check out the whole menu below.
But no matter how delicious the food is, we’re pretty sure that your grandparents will think that the best part of the evening was being invited to a homemade dinner by you.
Cheers to all the amazing grandmas and grandpas, for always feeding us. Now it’s our turn!
For More Smarts:
- Chard stems provide nice texture and lots of fiber, so don’t throw them away! However, do separate them from the leaves because they take a bit longer to cook. To see our guide to prepping greens like chard and kale, check out this video.
- The chicken can be rolled ahead of time, so that it only needs to be popped in the oven while the soup is cooking.
Prepping Smarts:
Learn how to make this meal quickly and efficiently with these video tutorials:
Equipment Smarts:
Sheet pans are inexpensive and great for a lot of things, especially for baking the Chicken Cordon Bleu.
An immersion blender is perfect for making pureed soups, and it doesn’t take up a lot of kitchen space either!
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our ‘Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools’
- Ingredients
- Pureed Broccoli and Celeriac Soup
- ½ a head of broccoli or just the stalks of a head of broccoli, chopped
- Celeriac bulb – 1
- Onion – 1, chopped
- Water, chicken stock, or vegetable broth – ~1 quart
- Olive oil – 1 to 2 tbsp
- Salt & pepper
- Cream – 1/2 cup, optional
- Citrus and Avocado Salad
- Citrus (like grapefruit or oranges) – 2 to 3, segmented
- Shallots – 1 tbsp, minced
- Dijon mustard – ½ tsp
- Red wine vinegar – 2 tbsp
- Olive oil – 3 to 4 tbsp
- Avocado – 1 to 2 ripe, sliced
- Salad greens – 4 oz
- Sauteed Garlicky Swiss Chard
- Chard – 1 bunch, stems chopped to ½” segments, and leaves torn
- Garlic cloves – 4, minced
- Canola / grapeseed oil – 2 tbsp
- Lemon – ½, juiced
- Parmesan cheese – 2 oz
- Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless – 1 lb
- Ham – 4 slices
- Swiss cheese – 4 slices
- Flour – ½ cup
- Salt – ¼ tsp
- Pepper – ⅛ tsp
- Eggs – 1 to 2
- Water – 1 tbsp
- Bread crumbs / panko – ½ cup
- Parmesan cheese (optional) – ¼ cup
- Broccoli / Onion / Shallots / Chard / Garlic – Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Celeriac – Peel the not-so-pretty outside off with a knife. To do this, microwave the celeriac bulb for about 5 minutes, which will soften the outside skin. Chop into large pieces. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Citrus – Supreme (that’s just the fancy French word for segmenting orange slices, but if you use it, people will think you’re so cool). (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
- Avocado – Prep as directed.
- Chicken – Slice in half to make them thinner (You can also purchase them this way to save time). Season with salt and pepper. Place them between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Pound with a meat tenderizer until they are flat and about ¼” thinness. (Watch this video.)
- Dredging stations for chicken – Mix together flour and salt & pepper in one bowl / dish. Whisk together egg and water in second bowl / dish. Mix together bread crumbs and cheese in a third bowl / dish. You can also feel free to add some spices like dried mustard, thyme, or parsley for more flavor.
- Make vinaigrette – Whisk together shallots, mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Preheat oven to 450°. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, then the cheese and roll. Set aside. You can secure them with a toothpick if needed. (Watch this video on how to make Chicken Cordon Bleu.)
- Dip the chicken into the flour mixture, then egg wash, then into the breadcrumbs.
- Place chicken onto the baking sheet seam side down.
- Bake about 25 minutes, or until until chicken has reached 165 degrees. Cheese will start oozing out.
- While the chicken is baking, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and then add onions with a dash of salt. Saute for 3 minutes, until they start to soften.
- Next add the broccoli and celeriac.
- Pour enough broth to cover all ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat, leave covered, and let the ingredients simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool before pureeing.
- While the soup is cooling, saute the chard. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and then minced garlic and chard stems with a dash of salt to heated oil. Sauté until soft, ~3 min.
- Add chard leaves, as much as can fit in the pan at a time, with a pinch of kosher salt. Add more leaves as room is made in the pan. Sauté until all leaves are wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add a squeeze of lemon, and grate cheese over warm chard.
- Puree soup with immersion blender and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cream (optional).
- Finish salad by tossing vinaigrette with greens, citrus, and avocado. Top with almonds.
- Enjoy this meal with your grandparents!
