Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My husband did it to me again!
He knows that I'm a do with what I've got kind of cook who often makes soup without a recipe. For the second day in a row, he's shared a photo of his lunch on Facebook. This time he promised I'd write out the recipe and share it here. So, here it is. I didn't measure when I made this, so my measurements are approximate. Please adjust for what you have on hand or your personal taste.



6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled, reserve grease
1 lb fresh broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1/2 gallon of whole milk
1 T cornstarch
3 handfuls of shredded cheddar (2 cups?)
salt and pepper to taste

This makes about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts. It fed four of us with no leftovers. I used a 3 quart saucepan to make it.


  • Fry 6 slices of bacon. Cool and crumble. Set aside. 
  • Trim 1 lb. fresh broccoli. I peel the stems and chop the softer inner core. I cut the florets into bite sized pieces.
  • Chop one onion.
  • Stir-fry the broccoli and onion a bit in the bacon grease. You want the broccoli to be just tender not fully cooked.
  • Remove veggies from pot. 
  • You can add a little hot water to deglaze the pan if needed. Remove and reserve excess grease before you do. You can add it back before the next step.
  • Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with about half a cup of cold milk until smooth. 
  • Add the cornstarch mix to the pan drippings. Add a bit of butter if needed. 
  • Stir constantly as you add milk to make a white sauce the consistency that you like for cream soups. This is how I do it when I don't have cream.
  • Return veggies and crumbled bacon to pot and stir.
  • Add more milk as needed to get to the consistency you prefer. 
  • Add 3 handfuls or 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until melted through.
  • Add more milk if desired. If it gets too thin, mix up some more cornstarch and milk and stir in.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.


There you have it.
Go forth and enjoy!

ஐღLauraღஐ 
...doing what I can with what I've got
where I am on a short shoestring budget!
~~~~~

21 comments:

  1. Sounds and looks delicious, Laura! Yum! And would be, oh, so good on a day like today! Blessings, my friend! <3

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    1. It was. Imagine having bacon on hand! I froze it in 4-6 slice batches in the freezer. No one knew it was there!

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    2. Good for you! We buy turkey bacon at Aldi's. I cook a whole package at time, then put the cooked slices in a plastic bag and freeze them. Then, we used them along crumbled, or cut, up in omelets, on salads, etc. Really stretches it out.

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    3. I need to do that so I'll have some reserved for meals like this. Bacon don't last long in this house so I'll need to "hide" some :) This soup looks YUMMO!

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    4. ​The trouble is that if I cook it first, it might not make it to the freezer Rebecca!​ TR, you're right. It must be hidden.
      ​Happy Thanksgiving!
      Laura​

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    1. Yes, people talk of soup weather, but I like soup all year round.
      Happy Thanksgiving!
      Laura

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  3. Laura, Sounds yummy. I've got pea soup going for supper here tonight. Wanna hear a little time saving tip I use for recipes that call for crumbled bacon? I "fry" bacon on foil covered cookie sheets in oven,(makes clean up a breeze) then crumble into small cheap baggies. These then go into ONE good freezer container or bag, and when I'd like a little bacon in a recipe, just pull out a baggie and wallah! I usually do several pounds at a time. Super duper time saver and great way to take advantage of on-sale bacon. Only takes about 15-20 minutes at 400-425..depending on thickness of bacon and your preference for crispness. Best part is NO GREASY STOVE TOP,back splash or floors..tee hee.. Happy baking and cooking this season dear lady!!

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    1. That sounds great to me. We need lots of prepping ahead this time of year.
      Thank you for the card. It's adorable, and you know how to make me feel loved.
      Be blessed!
      Laura

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  4. Looks delish! Of course, bacon makes everything extra good lol. We had real bacon over the weekend and it was heavenly.

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    1. ​Hi Debby,
      We don't have bacon often since it is so expensive, but when we do... oh yummy!
      Happy Thanksgiving!
      Laura
      in Missouri​

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  5. Mmmm... this is my kind of soup! I will have to try this recipe soon, my friend. Thank you for sharing :) Love and hugs to you!

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  6. Oh it looks and sounds good. After our Nativity fast, I shall have to try it!

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  7. Sounds and certainly looks like an amazing meal, delicious.

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    1. I wished I'd made enough for leftovers!
      Tonight we're having leftover 3 bean soup.
      Blessings,
      Laura

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  8. LOL! Happy Thanksgiving, my friend! Blessings! <3

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  9. This looks delicious! I love the idea of bacon in broccoli soup. Adam loves bacon and broccoli, so I know he would be thrilled with the combination. Thank you for sharing this recipe! : )

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    1. You're welcome. I hope he likes it!
      Be blessed and happy Thanksgiving!
      Laura

      P.S. I'm trying vinegar pie this afternoon. It was supposed to be for the dinner at church, but I missed the note that said it has to chill for 4 hours! My daughter's putting some blondies in the oven instead. I guess we'll come home to pie.

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  10. I love soup. That does look good. I do the same thing, look and see what's in the pantry and fridge and make it up from that. Always turns out good, but never the same.

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    1. The sad part of cooking like this is that it's hard to reproduce! Thanks for talking back at Harvest Lane Cottage!
      Blessings for a fabulous Thanksgiving!
      Laura

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  11. I cook like you do, adding what is at hand. This soup looks splendid.

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5 Year Cancer Survivor