Broccoli Cream Soup to Broccoli Ranch Dip

(With Crispy Flour Tortillas)

We have been using the contents of the refrigerator so efficiently that we were forced to dig deep for our evening chip & dip. Last week we had knocked up the base for a cream of broccoli soup (broccoli, onions, milk). We made half of it into soup by adding milk and blue cheese. That left us some broccoli "starter" in the fridge. It was to this container that we turned our attention.

The broccoli mixture was almost thick enough to be a dip, but it didn't hurt when we added some mayonnaise, ranch dip powder, cayenne, and scraps of cheese. We also discovered we didn't have any sort of cracker or chip in the house. But we did have flour tortillas – which toasted up with nonstick cooking spray and kosher salt to make fluffy and crunchy dipping chips.

This type of dip could be made with any leftover soup, even thin ones. In that case, you'd want to add a bit more mayonnaise or even some sour cream (which we also didn't have) to get something that would stick to a chip.

Broccoli Ranch Dip

½ cup thick broccoli soup
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp powdered ranch-flavored dip mix
½ tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, torn into tiny bits
3 tbsp goat cheese (or about 1 inch of the log they they are often shaped in)

1. Combine the soup, mayonnaise, ranch powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir well.

2. Add the mozzarella and goat cheeses. Stir vigorously, then microwave on high for thirty seconds. Stir vigorously again, incorporating the melting cheese into the dip. Repeat the microwaving and stirring one more time, or until the cheese has melted and the dip is smooth.

3. Microwave the dip one more time for 30 seconds, and stir. Serve with the tortilla chips.

Crispy Flour Tortilla Chips

2 flour tortillas
non-stick cooking spray
kosher salt

1. Spray both sides of each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Cut each into eighths, then cut each eighth into triangles by cutting from one corner on the curved side to the opposite straight side.

2. Spread the triangles over a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt.

3. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. Note: watch them closely as they can burn very quickly.

Tortilla Pizzas

Never think you're an expert, unless you are. For years, we took far too much stock in our tortilla pizzas. When friends came over, we knocked out a bunch--whether they were wanted or not. They were easy, crispy, and infinitely malleable: hamburger and blue cheese, salsa and fried eggs, leftover bean dip and pepper jack. Whatever we had on hand could be instantly converted into crunchy goodness.

Then we received a Splendid Table newsletter that featured the tortilla pizza recipe of Jacques Pepin, that notorious bastard. He dredged the tortillas in olive oil and baked them in a 500 degree oven with parmesan, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Finding similar ingredients, we tried it out and instantly realized that our tortilla pizza method was inferior in every respect. His had a delicious crust and stayed together better when crunched.

We swallowed our pride, along with dozens of his pizzas. Now we use his method anytime we have a few extra tortillas and some good stuff lying around. These featured leftover chicken made with Arabic spices, some salsa, sour cream, cilantro, lettuce, and cheese. Muy bueno.

You can find a full version of Jacques' recipe in Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook