That’s how my Samsung Galaxy phone auto-corrected my ‘crock-pot’ text to my mom – so that’s what we’re calling it. Good job, Galaxy.
It’s day three of Hurricane Joaquin and his dismal rain-dump here in South Carolina. I complain occasionally about living 12 miles from downtown Columbia – and having to drive ‘into town’ to do damage at Anthropologie and other retail-therapy utopias that make my husband cringe, but I’m done complaining. Our neighborhood sits on a hill – so the extent of the matter is a muddy yard, scuffed rain boots, and one antsy dog that would really love some exercise aside from aimless pacing across hardwood floors (click, click, click). We made a water/grocery run yesterday morning before all of the stores closed and were shocked by the devastation merely miles from our home – washed out roads, flooded homes and businesses, displaced families and pets. We’re thankful for the calls and texts from friends and families checking in. The Buckley’s are a tad stir-crazy, and happy to say that is the worst of it for our little family of five and a half.
To combat the cold and the grey, we discovered a delicious slow-cooker recipe for broccoli cheese soup. We’re both radiating a little bit of garlic, but we keep coming back for more. To the calorie counters, this is where you stop reading. To those who enjoy the occasional indulgent spree – venture on you wild animals!
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 5 tablespoons of flour
- 3 cups of milk (or half-and-half if you’re feeling rebellious)
- 3 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable soup for the vegetarians)
- 1/2 onion, diced (we used 1/4 because Tye hates onions, but marriage = compromise)
- 4 cups of chopped broccoli florets (see, healthy!)
- 5 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 4 ounces of cream cheese
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (and extra cheese for topping because, delicious)
- Salt/pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Melt butter, flour and milk in sauce pan on medium heat until thick, white sauce forms
- Add chopped onions, broccoli, garlic, Italian seasoning and cream cheese in crock pot. Add sauce from the pan (step 1) and chicken broth. Stir, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours (or high, 3-4).
- Uncover and add the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.
Tada!
PS: Because my husband is an eating machine, and protein is a must, we added chicken to the recipe to make it hearty. For the sake of ease, we just used sliced Tyson frozen chicken. We tossed it in two hours before serving. It was scrumptious – and filling.
Adrianne Buckley 