As a matter of fact you NEVER want this to come up more than a very light simmer. A boil runs the risk of separating your dairy products into a gritty mess. I cool it on medium at the beginning and on the lowest setting after adding the veggies.
I use a process I call "micro-steam" for my veggies. After chopping/dicing/etc I put them in a bowl (separately) with a few tablespoons of water and seal tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-7 minutes until tender, sometimes potatoes take a little longer. The important part is that you will not be boiling the soup, so the vegetables must be cooked before adding.
You'll notice that every thing is finely chopped, diced, and processed... that is because that is the way Halie likes it :)
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/3 c flour
- 1/2 c seasoning blend, ran through food processor
- 1 1/2 c half & half
- 4-6 cups 2% milk (depending on how thick you want it)
- 24 oz broccoli florets thawed & finely chopped
- 2-3 cups potatoes diced small
- 2 cups shredded cheese (whatever you like)
- Create a light blond roux with the oil and flour.
- Warm the cream & milk slightly then add to the roux to create your sauce base.
- Saute seasoning blend in a small pot if you prefer, or add to broccoli in next step.
- Micro-steam the broccoli until tender, leave water if only a tablespoon or so, and add to pot.
- Separately micro-steam the potatoes until tender, drain any water, and add to the pot.
- Allow this to set over low heat for 30 minutes to an hour on your lowest setting so the flavors will blend.
- If it is too thick, add a bit of water (1/4 c at a time)
- Add cheese and stir gently until melted, this will thicken the sauce again.
- Allow to set another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure cheese is melted in and blended well.
- Serve with grilled chicken, alongside crackers, or bacon sprinkled over the top.
