The weather here has been uncharacteristically warm so we are really getting a lot done on the house. Thomas has replaced windows in the basement, the bath room is sheet rocked, and one bedroom downstairs is almost done being sheet rocked. We are working on sprucing up the outside while the weather is nice and hope to put a big dent in all things remodeling this month. Plus we’ve found more stuff in the walls! I think I’ll post about that tomorrow. Any guesses on what we found? And, no, it’s not another royal icing rose. (Did you catch that? We found a royal icing rose in the walls of our house… so crazy and fun!)

When we are busy with big projects the crock pot is my best friend… when I remember to use it. This Cheesy Broccoli Soup in the Crock Pot is perfect to throw in at lunch time and just finish it up for dinner. The cooking time isn’t very long, so it isn’t something you have to plan ahead for as much as other recipes. I like to use the crock pot though because I can get everything ready and have the majority cleaned up before dinner. When all more my ducks are in a row after dinner I get to blog instead of clean; never a bad thing in my book.

What do you do in the evening when the kitchen is all clean?

Cheesy Broccoli Soup in the Crock Pot

Yield: Serves 6-8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 T. butter
1 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 stalks of broccoli
4-6 cups chicken broth (or water + bullion paste)
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 can evaporated milk
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. While the onion is cooking, finely chop the broccoli and add it to the crock pot. Once the garlic and onions are cooked add them to the crock pot. Add enough chicken broth to cover all of the vegetables, it should take 4 to 6 cups. Add the salt and pepper to the crock pot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until the broccoli is cooked through and very tender.
30 minutes before serving add the evaporated milk, cream cheese, cheddar, and Parmesan to the hot broccoli mixture and stir until everything is melted. Working in batches, process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth (if you have in emulsion blender that would work great too). I blended half of the soup and left half of it chunky Blend as much as you like to get the texture you prefer. Add all of the blended soup back to the crock pot and let it reheat until you are ready to serve. Once the soup it hot serve, turn off the crock pot and serve right away.

Notes

When I buy fresh broccoli it comes with 2 or 3 “stalks” rubber-banded together. Use about 5 of those stalks total and not 5 whole bunches. Are you with me?

Be careful blending that hot soup… seriously. I’ve gotten a nasty burn before when blending soup.

Using cream in place of the evaporated milk would be yummy, but don’t use milk (it might curdle).