The day I used my KitchenAid

I was feeling ambitious one day last week. Not in a I'm-going-to-get-so-much-school-done way, because we all know I still have half of an online class to finish and only about 3 weeks to do it in, but more in a I-bet-I-could-totally-cook/bake-that way. It started when I was browsing Pinterest and saw my friend had pinned this recipe for bread bowls. And it's chilly outside so my brain automatically went to soup, and how good would that taste on a chilly day like today? AMAZING. Plus I had some cheddar cheese soup that was begging to be used, and a whole thing of frozen broccoli that we weren't going to eat any time soon, and thus it began.

Since I'm the laziest of lazies, I disregarded most all the recipes I found online for a cheesy broccoli soup (they all called for fancy things like cream, and shredded cheddar cheese--like that was going to happen), and only paid any attention to the one that used a crock pot. So I threw in some chicken, that package of broccoli (it was actually half empty, though I don't know how that happened...), two cans of cheddar cheese soup, two cans of water, two chicken bouillon cubes and some garlic spice mix I picked up at WINCO. Let's just say my house smelled like heaven for the next 3 hours.

The recipe I used for the bread bowls was from the Six Sisters, but then I realized it was just a rolls recipe, and I totally could have used my mother's award winning Angel Rolls recipe...so next time. But the recipe specifically said to use a stand mixer and so I got to break out the KitchenAid, which I might add, I haven't done since we got it as a wedding present. Now don't worry Aunt Sue, the mixer has been used plenty of times by Dallas, just not me. So this was monumental guys. And you know what? Making bread in that thing was almost easier than making bread in the bread maker. That dough hook is awesome. I just poured the flour into the yeasty mixture and 5 minutes later I had THE PERFECT dough.

So after the bowls were cooked and shaped into actual bowls, and the chicken was chopped into bite size pieces, and the soup blended smooth, I was pretty dang proud of myself. Dallas would have been too, except that I finished everything like an hour before he got home. But when he did get home, we feasted on the fruits of my labors. We both only finished about half the bread bowl before we were stuffed, which I consider to be a victory since it is a struggle to feed that man enough.

Lazy Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Soup
Makes 6 cups

2 cans Cheddar Cheese soup
2 cans water
At least half a package frozen broccoli
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Garlic powder
2 lbs frozen chicken

Throw it all in the crock pot. Don't even mix it together(unless you want to, cause that would be fine).  Cook on high for 3 hours. After 3ish hours, or when it starts to smell really good and the chicken is cooked through, take the chicken out and chop it into bite size pieces. Pour the rest of the mixture into a blender (you might have to do this in two batches), and pulse until you get a desired consistency. Add the bite size chicken back in. Pour it all into some bowls (bread or otherwise) and enjoy!