Aunt Sally's Broccoli Potato Soup....

This recipe is soooooo good. While we were living in Kentucky we had the pleasure of being fed on occasion by Denver's Aunt Sally. This woman can cook. I might even try something out of my comfort zone if it is cooked by her. In fact....I cannot stand broccoli. Wont eat it. Never have liked it. Unless it is in this soup! It really is yummy. I fed some to my brother the other day who probably hates broccoli more than I do and got the same reaction...... "Now this is good". So that being said, Im going to post this recipe here with all props going to Sally Miller of Drift Kentucky who so VERY graciously gave me this recipe (and I hear she doesnt give out her recipes often).

Broccoli Potato Soup

6-8 small to medium Russett potatoes peeled and quartered
1 small vidalia onion (or sweet onion if you cant find Vidalia)
2 stalks of broccoli chopped (fresh is best)
1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
Velveeta Cheese
salt and pepper to taste
milk

~ first add the potatos to a large pot and cover with water. Heat to boiling then add the chopped onion and then the broccoli. Boil until veggies are soft (about 15 min). Drain off water and mash with a potato masher until its the consistency you like ( we like small chunks in ours so I dont mash it up too much). Add butter and cheese and stir a bit then cover and let it sit for a minute to allow the cheese to melt. Stir again until all the cheese is melted through. Add salt and pepper to your liking and then add milk to make a good soup consistency. Serve in bowls and sprinkly celery salt on top.

TIPS:

This was a hard recipe for me to follow at first because everything is so general. This is the way she cooks. "A little of this and a little of that".....no solid measurements. Agh! But, I worked through it and found that it really is all about personal preference. The Velveeta for instance, I used the lower fat version and I use a medium block of it. It comes in a little 8oz size and then I think the size I used was 16oz.....anyway, it depends on how much of the cheese flavor you like. I also use skim milk so this really is a great way to eat a "creamy" soup without all the fat. The celery salt on top at the end really adds some great flavor to the soup so I would definitely suggest using it. Oh, and once I didnt have velveeta and decided to use shredded cheddar cheese....tasty but not a great texture. It ended up being really curdled....not very appetizing so I suggest sticking with Velveeta.