Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Chowder

Name: Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Chowder
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h 45 min
Total time: 5 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, divided use not needed; cut into pieces; 1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced; 3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced; ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour; 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, at room temperature or warm; 1½ lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 3 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) dry mustard powder; ⅛ teaspoon (0.3 g) ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 lb (450 g) broccoli crowns, cut into small ½- to ¾-inch (1.25–2 cm) florets, stems peeled and diced ¼ inch; 1½ cups (360 ml) half-and-half, at room temperature; 8 oz (225 g) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated from a block (about 2⅔ packed cups), at room temperature; hot sauce, a few dashes, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, creamy chowder with tender potatoes, sweet carrots and broccoli, finished with sharp cheddar and half-and-half. The slow cooker does the simmering, and the dairy and broccoli go in at the end so the texture and color stay bright.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 4 hr 45 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 5 hr 15 min
Makes: About 9 cups (6 generous servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, divided use not needed; cut into pieces
1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, at room temperature or warm
1½ lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
3 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) dry mustard powder
⅛ teaspoon (0.3 g) ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 lb (450 g) broccoli crowns, cut into small ½- to ¾-inch (1.25–2 cm) florets, stems peeled and diced ¼ inch
1½ cups (360 ml) half-and-half, at room temperature
8 oz (225 g) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated from a block (about 2⅔ packed cups), at room temperature
hot sauce, a few dashes, to taste (optional)

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) slow cooker
Large skillet or small saucepan (10-inch / 25 cm) for the roux
Chef's knife and cutting board
Box grater
Potato masher or immersion blender
Whisk

Steps

Before you start

Grate the cheddar yourself from a block. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking starch and can make the chowder grainy.
Let the half-and-half sit out while the soup cooks so it isn't ice cold when added.
Use a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) slow cooker. A smaller one will be too full.
Timing: 4 hours on HIGH or 7 hours on LOW for the base, then about 30 minutes to finish.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, cube the potatoes into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, and slice the carrots into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets, peel the stems and dice them, and keep the broccoli in a separate bowl in the fridge until later.
- Grate the cheddar and set it aside.
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Ready when: Potatoes and carrots are evenly sized so they cook at the same rate.
Tip: Uniform cuts matter: bigger potato chunks will still be firm when the carrots are soft.
2
Cook the roux
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1½ minutes to cook out the raw flour taste; the mixture will look like a thick, pale paste.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and the flour paste smells lightly nutty, not raw.
Tip: Don't let the garlic or flour brown; lower the heat if it starts to color.
3
Blend in broth
- Slowly pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of the broth while whisking to dissolve the paste with no lumps.
- Simmer 1 minute until it thickens slightly.
- Scrape everything into the slow cooker.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, like thin gravy.
Tip: Add the broth gradually at first; pouring it all at once makes lumps.
4
Load the slow cooker
- Add the remaining 3 cups (720 ml) broth, the potatoes, carrots, mustard powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Stir well so the roux disperses and the vegetables are submerged.
5
Slow cook the base
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (some of this is longer than needed if your cooker runs hot; check at 3 hours on HIGH).
- The base is ready when a potato cube is completely tender and crushes easily against the side of the pot with a spoon.
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Ready when: Potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and break apart with light pressure.
Tip: Keep the lid on; every peek adds 15–20 minutes of cooking time.
6
Thicken the base
- Mash the soup with a potato masher directly in the pot, 8 to 10 presses, to break up about a third of the potatoes.
- This thickens the chowder while leaving plenty of chunks.
- Alternatively, pulse 3 or 4 times with an immersion blender.
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Ready when: Soup looks creamy and thick with visible chunks of potato and carrot remaining.
Tip: Don't fully puree; the chunky texture is what makes this a chowder.
7
Add the broccoli
- Stir in the broccoli florets and diced stems.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 to 40 minutes, until the broccoli is tender but still bright green.
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Ready when: Broccoli is bright green and a floret stem gives easily when pierced with a fork.
Tip: Adding broccoli earlier turns it olive-colored and sulfurous.
8
Melt in dairy and cheese
- Turn the slow cooker to LOW (or off).
- Stir in the half-and-half.
- Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next.
- Cover and let stand 5 minutes to heat through.
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Ready when: Chowder is smooth, glossy and steaming, with no visible strings of unmelted cheese.
Tip: Don't let the soup boil after adding dairy and cheese, or it can curdle and turn grainy.
9
Season and serve
- Taste and add salt, pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce if you like.
- If the chowder is thicker than you want, stir in a splash of warm broth or half-and-half.
- Ladle into warm bowls.
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Ready when: Flavor is cheesy and balanced, with enough salt that the broccoli and potato taste seasoned.
Tip: Cheddar and broth vary in saltiness, so always taste before adding more salt.

Good to know

Tips

Grate cheese from a block and stir it in off the boil for a smooth, silky chowder.
Peel and dice the broccoli stems; they are sweet and tender and add body.
For a thicker chowder, mash more potatoes; for a thinner one, add warm broth a splash at a time.
Serve with crusty bread or in hollowed-out bread bowls.

Make ahead

"Make the chowder through step 6 (before adding broccoli) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat on HIGH in the slow cooker or on the stove until hot, then continue with the broccoli, half-and-half and cheese."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the dairy and potatoes can turn grainy. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring often, with a splash of milk or broth; do not boil."

Substitutions

half-and-half → whole milk with 2 tablespoons extra butter, or evaporated milk. Whole milk gives a lighter chowder; evaporated milk is very stable and resists curdling.
sharp cheddar cheese → Gruyère, Colby Jack or a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack. Use the same weight, freshly grated; Gruyère gives a nuttier flavor.
Yukon Gold potatoes → Russet potatoes. Russets break down more and thicken the chowder further, but the cubes are less firm.
low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth → vegetable broth. Makes the chowder vegetarian.