Potato Soup (with bacon and cheese)

There is nothing better on a cold and rainy day than a bowl of hot soup. After a quick run to the store, I set out to preparing a filling and delicious potato soup to go with some bread and a salad. My family says that I succeeded.

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
6 cups water
10 slices turkey bacon (or regular bacon)
2 Tbsp oil (omit if you use regular bacon)
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp diced garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup diced carrots

1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley (or 3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley)

1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large soup pot, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the diced potatoes and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to cook for 10 - 15 minutes (the potatoes are done when they are mostly cooked but are still not completely soft).

While the potatoes are cooking, fry up the turkey bacon a large frying pan, in the 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat until they are crispy. Once cooked, drain on paper towels and transfer the cooking fat to a large soup pot.


After the 10 - 15 minutes, remove the potatoes from the stove, drain off the water and set aside.

Heat the cooking fat and 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat in the large soup pot. Once the butter or margarine is melted, add the diced onion and diced garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir into the fat with a wire whisk.Allow to cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.


Carefully pour the chicken broth into the pot, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. The soup should be getting thick. Put the potatoes into the pot then add the carrots, salt, parsley and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally while the soup is simmering, allow the soup to cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes. Check the the potatoes after 15 minutes, if they are done move to the next step, if they are not soft enough, cook an additional 5 minutes.


Once the potatoes are cooked, turn the heat back to medium and add the 2 cups of milk and the shredded cheddar cheese. Heat just long enough to heat the milk and melt the cheese. Remove from the heat.

You can garnish with thinly sliced green onions and a little shredded cheddar.



Serve and enjoy. The perfect dinner when it is cold and snowing or raining outside.



Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings.