For those folks not from around these parts, entertainment icon Dolly Parton has a theme park and separate dinner theatre (among many other businesses) in Pigeon Forge, near where she grew up. The dinner-and-show theatre, Dolly Parton’s Stampede* has a popular cream of vegetable soup for which dozens of copycat recipes exist. Here is mine.

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup milk
• 32 oz chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 2 bags (10 oz or so) frozen vegetables (I prefer California blend)
• 1/2 cup instant potato flakes
• Seasoned salt to taste

Melt butter and add onion and garlic, stir until softened. Stir in flour, then milk, then chicken broth; heat until steaming and add frozen veggies. Return to steaming (do not boil), then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until vegetables are desired doneness. Mash vegetables with potato masher to thicken and create smaller pieces, then stir in potato flakes. Top with shredded cheese, if desired. (For an extra-rich soup, add 1 brick of cream cheese after mashing vegetables and allow to melt.)

*[Dolly Parton’s Stampede was renamed from Dixie Stampede, because Dolly is woke.]