Cheesy veggie chowder

Do you ever come home and just neeeeeed to cook? Like you had such a crappy day, that all you wanna do is slice and chop and stir and season and make something yummy so that you can feel like something decent came out of the craptastical mess of a day? Oh, you say I need therapy? This is my therapy, folks. As any good food hoarder knows, it gave me a sense of peace inside to use up my almost-going-bad veggies in the fridge, have a meal in the freezer for later, and work out my stress in a productive way...all at the same time! I don't really remember what got my goat that day (Is that not the weirdest saying ever?? What goat? I don't have a goat to get.) but I do know that it all melted away into this big pot of soup.  Waaaaaaay cheaper than a shrink, people. Give it a shot...you can send me the money you would've spent at therapy if it helps :)

I doubled this entire recipe and froze it. You can keep it singlified (Is that a word? Eh, you knew what I meant...) if you want, you can eat it right away if you want, you can cook it all and throw it in the garbage disposal if that's the way your therapy works...no one is judging here. I will tell you that it puts a nice little cozy, sleeping-bag-lined corner in your heart, where you can go and hide when you have another bad day, to know that you have a big batch of homemade soup to throw on and enjoy when your therapy is needing to sit on the couch and veg rather than be productive. Different days call for different therapies, my friends...we all know that!

I used half of my doubled batch to serve to some friends who came over for dinner and girl talk...and I can tell you that this soup is mom-approved, toddler approved, and main man approved. I don't know who else's stamp of approval you would even need...the only person really missing there is the Pope.  Get yo tush to therapy!

2 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrott
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 T minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)
2 large baking potatoes, chopped up
1 T flour
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery to saute until tender. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes and cook until potates are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and stir soup until slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese and allow to melt. Top with extra cheese and bacon bits if you feel the need like I did...

If you freeze it, you may need to add a little milk or half and half when you're reheating in order to give it that creaminess again...a cup or so should do. You could add ham to this if you want some meat in your soup as well. Just suggestions...it's perdy perfect as is.

P.S. The warm, cozy, sleeping bag spot is still in my heart corner knowing I have the other half of this batch and a batch of the tomato basil soup hanging out together in my hoarding nest (a.k.a. my deepfreeze) together waiting for the next cool day where a soup craving slams me in the face. I hope you find a cozy corner and some free therapy this weekend...happy Friday, all!