Ingredients:
4 cups shredded hash browns, thawed
3 cups small-chopped broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrot
One minced shallot (or half a tiny sweet onion)
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz (1/2 cup) herbed cream cheese
1 cup milk (2% fat or higher)
8 oz. (1 cup) of strong Cheddar cheese, shredded; plus additional for topping
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
In a 6-quart crock pot, add the thawed hash browns, broccoli, carrots, shallot (or onion), and chicken broth. Stir to combine, cover the crock pot, and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, or until the broccoli is very tender.
Transfer the herbed cream cheese, milk, and roughly 1/3 of the cooked vegetables to a blender. Blend until the mixture becomes very creamy. Stir this blended mixture back into the crock pot, cover again, and cook on LOW for an additional 10 minutes.
Add half a cup of finely chopped Cheddar cheese to the soup and stir until the cheese melts completely.
Then add the second 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste when preparing the soup.
Serve the Crock Pot Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup and garnish each serving with a little more shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired.
This recipe serves 4 to 6 people and is perfect for a comforting and delicious meal. Enjoy!