Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup


4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. fresh broccoli (or 1 bag of frozen broccoli)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 med onion; chopped
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Mix broth and soup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add broccoli and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion. Saute until tender. Add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute longer. Gradually stir milk into skillet. Cook, stirring continually, until thickened. Add salt and pepper; mix well.

Stir milk mixture into broccoli mixture. Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Top with cheddar cheese.

* To make a more hearty soup, first peel and dice 3-4 potatoes. Cook in a separate pan until soft while preparing the rest of the soup. Add when combining milk and broccoli mixtures.

** Can also add precooked and shredded chicken, or 1 can of precooked chicken.

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

·                     1 small onion, chopped

·                     1 carrot, chopped

·                     1 celery stalk, chopped

·                     2 cloves garlic, minced

·                     1 tbsp butter

·                     2 tbsp flour

·                     2 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

·                     1 cup fat free milk

·                     2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small

·                     salt and fresh pepper

·                     4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces

·                     1-1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar

·                     2 slices 2% American cheese

·                     1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.

In a large soup pot, melt butter.  Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.

Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.
_______________

Found this at http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Ham and Broccoli Pinwheels

These turned out really yummy and they look great! BUT they take a lot of time to make. (More time than cinnamon rolls, which take a lot of time in my opinion.) They had great flavor, but not something I would want to take the time to make every couple of weeks. 


Found this recipe HERE.

1 roll recipe that makes 12-15 rolls.  (Use Butter Roll recipe, below)
Fresh Broccoli 
2 C. Diced Ham
5-6 Green Onions, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1 T. Olive Oil
Salt Pepper
Parmesan Cheese (about 4 oz.)  
1 8oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1/4 C. Butter, at room temperature

Make your bread dough.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle like you would for cinnamon rolls.  Using a hand mixer, whip together the cream cheese and butter.  Spread evenly over top of dough.  Chop broccoli pretty fine until you have about 2-2 1/2 cups.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic.  Saute at medium heat 1-2 minutes then add broccoli, ham, green onions and salt/pepper.  Saute about 3 minutes until broccoli begins to get a little soft.  Spread evenly over the cream cheese.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top and roll up.  Cut into pinwheels using a sharp knife or dental floss like you would cut cinnamon rolls.  Place on a large cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place these apart from each other so they aren't touching when they bake, kind of like when you make cookies.  Sprinkle more parmesan cheese over top of each pinwheel.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Butter Rolls

2 3/4 C. Flour

2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

2 T. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 C. Warm Water

1 Egg

7/8 C. Milk

1/4 C. Melted Butter or Margarine

In a large bowl, combine sugar and warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, allow to soften. Add salt and egg and then the flour stirring well with spoon until well mixed. (May need a little extra flour to make it workable and not too sticky.)

If you are baking as regular rolls:

In a large bowl, combine sugar and warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, allow to soften. Add salt and egg and then the flour stirring well with spoon until well mixed. Then turn it out onto a floured counter and shape however you want.  Put the rolls onto a greased pan and Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes (until they are lightly browned on top).  Take them out of the oven and brush tops with butter.  Makes 12 rolls. 

Easy Chicken and Broccoli Pie

1 bag Broccoli, frozen, thawed and drained (9 oz.) 

              (Or use 1 small head of fresh broccoli and steam it beforehand.)

1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded (6 oz.)

2 cans Chunk Chicken, drained (5 oz. each)

1/2 cup Bisquick

1 cup Milk

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

2 eggs

Directions

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate (or 9 inch casserole dish) with cooking spray. 

Mix together and then sprinkle the broccoli, the cheese and the chicken into the dish. 

In a medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients with a wire whisk or fork until blended. 

Pour into pie plate. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.