Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am pretty much obsessed with soup. The ingredients are usually inexpensive, you get tons of leftovers, and it's just so delicious on a cold wintery night.



Broccoli Cheddar Soup
{From the Pioneer Woman}

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter
1 onion, diced
1/3 cup flour
4 cups skim milk
2 cups half-and-half
1 bag frozen broccoli
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes, then sprinkle the flour on top. Stir to combine.
2. Pour in milk and half-and-half. Add broccoli, salt and pepper. Cheese is pretty salty on its own, so go easy on the salt for now.
3. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about half and hour. Stir in the cheese until melted.
4. Use a potato masher to break up the broccoli florets. Makes ten one-cup servings.

Another favorite thing about soup - you just have to serve it with some kind of bread.

Cornbread Muffins
{From Mel's Kitchen Cafe}

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
2. Whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a separate mixing bowl. Add the melted butter in three additions, stirring after each. Alternate adding the milk and sour cream, stirring till combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among tins and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

A Few Notes:
- If you're reheating the soup as leftovers, you might need to add a little chicken broth to get it back to the original consistency.
- The cornbread muffins freeze great! I have one and Adam has two, so a batch lasts four dinners.
- I am not a huge fan of margarine. I also never remember to take the butter dish out of the fridge to warm up sufficiently before we eat. Enter, spreadable butter.
- I cook and Adam does the dishes. He absolutely hates washing muffin tins, so we found a silicone muffin tin that can go in the dishwasher. Total game changer.