Comfort food at its easiest! I always make a huge batch of this soup, since it freezes really well. I store the leftovers in 1-2 portion sizes and freeze them for an easy meal later. You can go completely vegetarian with this (leave out the ham and cheese & use vegetable broth), or you can make it meaty enough for your most carnivorous cravings. I like to float a couple of smoked ham hocks in the slow-cooker, then pick the meat off the bones and add it back at the end of the cook time. Rosemary is a great addition: if you don’t mind rosemary needles, float the entire sprig in the soup. Otherwise, strip it off the stem and chop it. You can also add a cheese rind to amp up the flavor even more!