Our family has made this soup at Christmas for years.  It wasn’t a recipe passed down from older generations.  Instead, it was one my mom found and tinkered with when my sister and I were vegetarian.  It was a great example of my parents being open to new ideas (they’d previously always done a Christmas ham) and creating new traditions.  Even after I was no longer vegetarian, this soup had become part of Christmas for us. We all loved it so much that we kept making it year after year.

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 package frozen corn
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans condensed cream of potato soup
• 2 cups milk
• 1.5 cups shredded cheese (cheddar is good)
• 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed

1. Bring water, butter, corn, carrot, onion, and pepper to boil.  Simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in soup, then milk, cheese(s).  Heat, stirring occasionally until cheese melts.  Don’t boil!
3. Serve with broccoli on top.