Whew! Finally!
You all KNOW how many times I've tried to make this at home because well, I'm going to go broke if I don't stop eating at Panera's. But in the past, it hasn't turned out very well. The cheese clumped up or got stringy, the flavor has never been right and you certainly couldn't eat any leftovers later.
But THIS one, my people ... this one is THE ONE.
And just so you know, it weighs in at half the calories
as it's famous predecessor ... in case that matters to you :)
Here are the ingredients:
1 tbsp butter.
1 onion, diced.
2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
1 tsp of thyme
1/2 grated carrot.
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 large bunch broccoli cut into florets OR, a half bag of frozen.
8 ounces regular cream cheese, softened.
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated.
Salt and Pepper.
Total time to make from prep to finished is about
20 minutes. 25 minutes if you count the optional dancing and the best part is ...
you can put the leftovers in the fridge (or portion it out in separate containers)
and heat it up the next day, the day after that, or the day after THAT!
The cheese never separates, sticks or clumps when re-heated
via stove or microwave.
Serves 4-5 depending on your appetite :)
I am so confident you will like this that I'll even wait for you to gather your ingredients. Go ahead, I'll wait ... shoo ... go! ...
Okay! Now here we go:
1. Grab your medium sized soup pot and put it on the stove over a
medium-low heat, then add your butter to the pan and melt it.
2. Toss in the diced onions, garlic, thyme and a little salt and pepper.
Simmer this until the onions are translucent.
3. Now pour in the vegetable/chicken stock and add the
grated carrot and bring it to another simmer.
(This is where you'll start to feel giddy over the aroma.
Feel free to dance around the kitchen at this point)
4. Once it starts to simmer, add the broccoli and a little more
salt and pepper. Let this simmer again just until the broccoli
gets tender. Typically about 2-5 minutes.
5. Once the broccoli is tender enough, whisk in the cream cheese first
until blended, and then the cheddar cheese after that.
6. Allow it to simmer one last time for about 5 more minutes then taste,
adjust salt and pepper to your liking, and then eat!
Right On! Now enjoy!
.png)
