So, yesterday was a long day. Sunday ended late with a baby toddler and his high fever, and Monday started early (4:30) when his fever spiked again. Rushing to make the school run and then a doctor’s appointment, mixed with the ups and downs of a day spent between fever spikes and the tears and tantrums they can cause, made for a hectic and hurried day. Hubby came home early (THANK YOU!) and helped with the homework and the holding of the hot one. We’d been out of town all weekend so, while the cupboard wasn’t bare, it was a little lacking. The cool weather and our sore throats just said “soup” to me, and I had a few potatoes that needed to be used. What I didn’t have was a recipe (or at least one that matched any of my other available ingredients anyway). SO I MADE IT UP. And it was good. Seriously.
Here’s what I did to make “Just Put It in a Pot Potato Soup“:
Chopped a half a red onion (because I had one…yellow or white would work as well) and a handful of baby carrots. Peeled and chopped about four or five cups worth of potatoes. Chopped some deli ham. Threw it all in a pot and just covered it with water. Put it on the stove and brought it to a boil. Added salt and pepper and a tablespoon of chicken bouillon granules. Once it was boiling, I lowered the heat to medium or medium high.
Meanwhile, I made a basic white sauce by melting 4 tablespoons of butter with 4 tablespoons of flour, whisking all the while. When it was all melty and mixed in, I added salt, pepper and two cups of milk, pouring the milk in slowly while whisking. When it was all incorporated, I let it simmer until thick.
The sauce thickened just about the time the potatoes were soft enough to cut with a spoon or fork so, after using a potato masher to break up many of the potato pieces, I poured the sauce into the soup and stirred to incorporate. Then I added grated cheese and real bacon pieces. I didn’t have much grated cheese (just about a quarter of a cup) and felt the soup needed a bit more cheese so I added about a cup of some processed cheese spread in a crock from Mississippi State (because I had some). I stirred it until melted and let the soup simmer until it was thick.
I planned to sprinkle some chopped green onions on the top before serving, but they were past their prime so I skipped it. Didn’t matter..the soup was delicious!
You’re welcome to follow this “recipe,” but I encourage you to try your own using what you have on hand! You just might surprise yourself…I certainly did.
Enjoy!