12 days so far on the liquid diet and I’ve done pretty well. I’m still drinking the Carnation Instant Breakfast with a side of grape juice in the mornings, an Ensure milkshake for lunch and soup for dinner. I haven’t gotten sick of it yet! However, I have gotten a little tired of take-out soup from local restaurants. On Saturday, I had Panera Bread’s Baked Potato Soup and I must say, I was extremely disappointed. It wasn’t good at all! In a side-by-side comparison between Panera’s Baked Potato Soup and McAlisters Baked Potato Soup, McAlisters’ wins hands down. Although, both restaurant’s Broccoli Cheddar Soups are extremely similar and I can’t tell you which one I like better.

Tonight, though, we tried Ree Drummond’s version of Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Click HERE for her recipe over at The Pioneer Woman. (NOTE: The Hubs actually cooked this tonight;  thus, the lack of pictures. I am the secretary of our Homeowners Association and we had a meeting tonight.)

Ingredients:
1 whole onion, diced
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups whole milk (we used 1%, because that is what we drink)
2 cups Half-and-Half
4 heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 pinch nutmeg
3 cups grated Cheddar cheese (I purchased a 4 cup bag and yes, we used ALL of it)
Small dash of salt (we left this out, my high blood pressure and added salt aren’t friends)
Freshly ground black pepper (we used the non – fresh variety that comes in a can)
Chicken broth, if needed for thinning

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the diced onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes,  then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then the broccoli florets, a small dash of salt and plenty of black pepper.
2. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes,  or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.
3. Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender I two batches and puree completely. (If you choose to puree it, return the soup to the heat and allow to heat back up. Splash in some chicken broth if needed for thinning.)

Thoughts: This is so creamy and delicious!  Of course, I knew it would be…I don’t think The Pioneer Woman can cook anything that tastes bad. Be prepared though…this makes A LOT! The recipe says it yields 10 servings and those are 10 BIG servings!  I’ll be eating on it all week and probably next week, too…but that’s okay, since it’s so yummy! What’s your favorite kind of soup?

Until next time…
Happy Blogging!