Sunday night, the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch, predicting 3-6 inches of snow, heavy winds and white-out conditions for Tuesday. Monday evening it was down to a Winter Weather Advisory with 1 inch of snow and reduced visibility.
(Sorry there isn't much in the way of measurements, when I'm experimenting I don't stop to measure, I just toss stuff in.)
I started out sauteeing a mirepoix (two parts onions, one part each celery and carrots) in olive oil until the onions turned translucent. Then I added 3 large baking potatoes, diced, about the same quantity of broccoli, several handsful of real bacon bits, three 14oz cans of chicken stock and 3 cups of milk. I brought the soup to a boil then simmered for 20 minutes. Then I melted in several handsful of grated cheddar and jack cheese.
Let the soup cool a bit, then in several batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Taste the first batch and add salt and pepper to adjust it to your liking, blending again for a few seconds to mix in the seasonings. Set each batch aside until the original pot is empty (or just use a second pot), then put the soup back on the stove to reheat it.