About 20 years ago when we were living in Lawler, Iowa, I bought the local church cook book. Â Being a mom with a house full of hungry kids I was always looking for recipes that they would like but I would like too. Â Sometimes, that isn’t easy.
I am a HUGE fan of soups and stews but that isn’t something kids typically like neither does Hubby for that matter. Â He says they don’t fill him up. Â One day I decided to give this recipe a try hoping the cheese would entice the kids to eat it…and the ham might make Hubby think it’s filling.
Well…it was a hit and has forever been named “Jill Reicks” soup…it’s actually called “Cheese Chowder”. Â Some of you might know Jill as the owner of Pine Needles Quilt Shop in Cedar Rapids.
Anyway…here’s the recipe.
3 medium potatoes diced
3 stalks of celery diced (we typically skip the celery)
1 medium onion chopped
4 carrots grated (I just slice mine)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 quart milk
1 pound Velveeta cubed
2 cups chopped ham (we use Turkey Ham)
Cook vegetables in 3 cups of chicken broth with pepper. Â Don’t drain. Â In a large sauce pan, melt the butter, then flour and milk making a white sauce. Â Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Â Add Velveeta gradually stirring to melt the cheese. Â Add this sauce to the cooked vegetables and ham. Â Heat thoroughly but don’t boil.
I’ve made this so many times that I don’t use a recipe anymore…I have been know to “clean the refrigerator” when I make this soup. Â That’s why you can see green beans included in the soup but not listed in the recipe. Â If there are any vegetables left over in the refrigerator, I just throw them in the soup.
Like most soups, this is even better the next day. Â Leftovers never go to waste…and that “Jill Reick’s” soup.
Very similar to a potato soup I make, I call it Cheesey Potato Soup. It was always a fav, and we would have it on one of the first cold days. I didn’t use ham, but that’s a good idea.
Often I would back a loaf of bread to serve w it.
Instead of milk, I used the liquid from the potatos, and a can of condensed fat free milk. The starch in the reseved water makes it thicker, and teh evaporated Fat Free Milk lowers the calories….
I have used this same recipe w/o the cheese and put fish in it for a Sea food chowder.