otherwise known as “The recipe my husband regularly over-eats with”, he says as I type this up!

I always grab the giant bag of broccoli at Costco since when we have it on hand all cut and ready, we certainly eat more of it.  But whenever the bag is running low, I whip up a batch of this soup and its a hit with the whole clan.  Best part is I can start it at 5 and it’s ready before 6 with very little work.  If I plan ahead I’ll make some whole wheat oat rolls to go with.  However it’s quite filling and good all by itself if need be.

1/4 cup butter
1 onion diced
2 cloves fresh crushed garlic
few grinds fresh pepper
a generous pound of fresh broccoli, chopped small (or processed for a few pulses in food processor)
1 quart of chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt to taste
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or if I’m out of that, I’ve used a mix of all sorts of cheeses)

Melt butter in a pot.  Cook onion in butter till soft.  Add garlic and pepper, cook a minute.  Stir in broccoli then chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer until broccoli is tender (about 15 min).  Whisk flour into milk until dissolved.  Stir into soup and continue stirring often until thickened.  Reduce heat and stir in cheese until heated.  Season with salt as needed.

And for the perfect after dinner treat (AKA favorite pregnancy snack)?

A sliced banana spread with Nutella (how did I live so long without it?) and crunchy granola sprinkled on top.  Delish!!