Sausage Broccoli Tortellini Chowder

[Brookecountyeer]

Making this for the Superbowl tomorrow. My buddy made it last week at our Sportsmen's Club Meeting. It was very good. I'm going to start on the base today while watching the game. Hope you like it as much as I do fellas!

Ingredients

· 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

· 1 medium onion, chopped

· 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 3 garlic cloves, minced

· 2 cups fresh broccoli florets

· 2 to 3 medium carrots, finely chopped

· 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

· 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

· 9 ounces cheese tortellini, cooked and drained

· 1/2 teaspoon pepper

· 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

· 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

· 2 quarts half-and-half cream

· 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions

· Crumble sausage into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. In the same skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Set aside.

· In a Dutch oven, cook broccoli and carrots in chicken broth until tender. Stir in sausage and mushroom mixture. Add the soup, tortellini, pepper, basil and thyme; heat through. Stir in cream and cheese; heat through.