Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients : 

1/3 cup butter, sliced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 cups small diced broccoli florets*
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (or more to taste)
2 oz parmesan cheese, freshly & finely shredded

Cooking Tips :

Making Food Your Friends And Family Will Enjoy

Learning to cook seems like an impossible task to some but with diligence and practice anyone can learn to cook! There are many recipes in books, magazines and even online for every type of person from a beginner to a professional. There are many classes you can take as well at culinary schools. Read the following tips to improve your experience in the kitchen.

When baking pie or tart crusts, bake them longer than you think you should. Let the crust go beyond light tan to a deeper, golden shade. This golden color means that the sugar used in the crust has caramelized, giving the crust a crisp and sweet flavor.

One of the things that you can do if you are cooking cauliflower is to add milk, which will help to brighten your vegetable. This will add to the aesthetic appeal of your food and will also maintain the freshness until you decide to serve it to your friends or family.

If you have made sauce, put the leftovers into an ice cube tray and freeze. You can easily take them from the freezer when needed for a meal, and quickly reheat in a saute pan. And don't worry, your sauce will still taste great even after freezing.

When cooking, make sure that you never put anything metal in the microwave, as it will cause sparks given the electromagnetic energy. Always make sure that the items you are microwaving are safe to put in there. This will help to increase your level of safety when you are in the kitchen.

Make sure not to use oil in the water you are using to make pasta. This will only keep sauce from sticking to pasta when mixed together. In order to give the water a little flavor and prevent the pasta from sticking the pot, you can add in a little bit of salt.

An easy way to skin nuts. When used in cooking, nuts such as almonds and pistachios need their skins removed. Blanch the nuts by boiling them in a pan of water for one minute. Drain the nuts, and place them on a clean dishtowel. Fold the dish towel over the nuts, and rub vigorously. The skins will rub off onto the towel.

If you want to cook a roast quicker, leave the bone inside of it. The bone inside of the meat acts as a conductor of sorts, helping the meat to cook faster. When your meat finishes cooking, all you need to do is cut the meat off of the bone and enjoy!

After your Thanksgiving meal, don't throw away turkey leftovers. The efficient thing to do is put the turkey in a plastic container and freeze it for later. This will keep the turkey fresh, so it can be reused for salads or sandwiches.

Make the best of your baking adventures by leaving eggs and butter out at room temperature the night before. Then you do not have to go through the frustration of softening the butter to the right consistency. Also, warm eggs whisk to a greater volume, which allows the cake to rise evenly.

Store vegetable trimmings in the freezer for a tasty vegetable stock. Save money and increase the flavor of your dishes by making your own vegetable stock. Throughout the week or even month, place vegetable trimmings and peels into plastic bags and store them in the freezer. When you have a spare afternoon, throw them in a pot with some water and let simmer. Once strained, you will have a flavorful broth that can also be frozen for later use.

Cutting onions does not have to be a crying matter. The keys to success with onions are easy to follow and minimize tears. Chill the onions first before cutting, use your sharpest knife for cutting and turn exposed cuts down on your board. As you cut, be efficient, quick and constantly turn the largest exposed cuts down against the board. Running your vent hood will help circulate air as you cut as well.

For important meals or dinner guests, stick with cooking what you know. Whether you are cooking for a new significant other or your boss, use a recipe you have cooked before. You can change it up a bit with a new a new ingredient or two. However, never ever try a new recipe with an ingredient with which you are not familiar - the results are unknown!

To make the very best bread stuffing, check out your grocer's day-old bakery section. You should be able to find a wide variety of different types of bread there, from tasty Italian and French breads to scrumptious sourdoughs and hearty rye breads. The trick for great bread stuffing is not only the seasonings used, but also the type of bread used. Different breads provide for many different flavors as well as textures in your home-made stuffing.

If you are not very skilled at cooking, it is better to go with less spice than to go overboard with it. If you do not know the strengths of the spices instead of the food tasting good, it will taste over spiced.

Learn to make a good roux for top-notch cream sauces, gravies, soups and more. Begin by melting a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, and add just enough flour to soak up all of the melted butter. For recipes that call for a blonde roux, add liquid just after the butter is absorbed by the flour. For a darker roux, which imparts deeper flavor, allow the flour and butter mixture to cook a bit longer, stirring constantly.

For an effective way to cool down hot, freshly made stock during the winter, set the covered pot outside for a little while. You should not put such a large quantity of hot liquid in your refrigerator. Setting the pot outside is a great way to cool the stock enough for refrigerating or freezing, and it may be easier to skim off the fat layer on the top.

Anyone can learn to cook. Starting from the ground and building up your skills using your researching skills is very beneficial. With a little patience and a flair for giving your loved ones and yourself a great meal, you can learn and become a pro at cooking at any age!