We love this Broccoli Ham and Cheddar Soup. Does this sound like something that might appeal to you and your family? I usually double or even quadruple the recipe as it freezes well. I use home made broth rather than a bullion cube though. As the recipe notes, it's very flexible in the amounts of ham, mushroom and broccoli you can add so if you have a lot of ham go ahead and throw in extra. Here is a link that might be useful: Broccoli Ham and Cheddar Soup

I gave the less-than-one portion to one of our guests who is just 21. He lives on his own, and could use a quick meal. I didn't eat any of it...I don't care for chowder (the potatoes you know...) very much. I thought the potatoes would get softer also but hey, it was a chowder! That's not knife and fork food. Thanks for the confirmation my friends.

Linda I can't remember if you have a pressure cooker. I know we discussed it in one of the dog food threads. If you do, read on and think about this! If not, read on and wish you had one! Yesterday Brockley let me use his electric pressure cooker to make a late lunch of a bean soup with a meaty ham bone pulled from my freezer. I'm impressed that I made the soup with white beans that I boiled for 3 minutes and then let soak covered, off the heat, while I cut up an onion, some celery, carrots and 3 small potatoes. Added about 2t of Italian herb blend and some red pepper flakes and cooked it all (with the ham bone and with about 5 cups of water and 4 cups of chicken stock)under pressure for 18 minutes and then took out about 2 cups of the veggies and blitzed them with the stick blender to thicken the soup a little. Cut the meat off the ham bone and sprinkled on some fresh parsley and voila, bean soup for lunch in just about an hour starting with unsoaked beans and a frozen ham bone. I was delicious and I have 2 quarts left for a quick meal later in the week. After lunch I put five pounds of chicken thighs in the PC and a cup of brown basmati, a cup of steel cut oats and two diced sweet potatoes in my rice cooker to start Brockley's food for the week. I added about two pounds of green veggies after the chicken was cooked (I take off 3-4 cups of chicken stock to freeze for us to use later) and cooked his food an addtional four minutes in the PC. Brockley did not leave the kitchen all afternoon. Lee PS we had some more of the soup tonight and it was even better than yesterday. I really liked that the quick cooking under pressure left the beans soft and tender but with integrity, that is no popping skins, and that the ham did not have a washed out taste and yet flavored the soup well. I don't think I'll bother to plan for soaking beans the day before anymore - this was perfect.

I always process the ham bone first because there is enough flavor in that bone to make more than one pot. Just fill a big covered pot with water and simmer till the meat is falling off. Hours.... Then you have a whole pot of broth. Remove the bone/meat, cool ...even over night to remove the fat...I take the bone and remove all the meat...and take it apart where all I have left is the good meat..no fat...no gristle etc....Then I use it to make soup. Sometimes I will have enough for two or three pots of soup. I use one and freeze or can the others. Bean, potato is my favorite or peas...but use you imagination...even noodles and whatever suits your fancy.