This pregnancy has me craving soups like crazy! This is so handy because now that it's fall, (kind of) we can enjoy them while it's a little cooler out. It's been misty and windy all day, so we packed this up tonight, took it to the park and had a picnic on the lawn. We had a warm french bread loaf too, so it made it extra special. I must say, even though it's my own concoction, it's pretty stinkin' tasty!!! =)
Please bear with me on my ingredient amounts. I'm guessing...
Ingredients:
5 baking size russet potatoes
1/2 large onion diced
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp cayenne
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 stick of butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese mix
1 package of bacon
1) Dice and saute onions and garlic together. Just until they are kind of soft and then throw it in the crock pot. Yes, this may seem redundant because they are going to cook in the pot, but this is what I did, so I'm leaving no detail out! =)
2) Dice potatoes and add them too.
3) Add salt, pepper, cayenne, chicken broth and maybe 3/4 of the butter. No, I didn't melt the butter, I just threw in the big hunk of it right on top. Cook on High for 3 hours. I stirred half way through...
4) After the 3hours, I added the cup of sour cream and turned it to low for another 1/2 hour. Right before the 1/2 hour was up, I started making the roux.
5) Add the rest of the butter, the 1/4 you should have left, to a saucepan, once melted add flour and let it come to a boil, (heat up milk in microwave) and slowly add milk to pan while stirring the whole time. Once it starts to thicken, add the cheese a little at a time. (I did a few handfuls, so I'm guessing in the amount, but that seems about right.) Once this is melted together add to crock pot and keep it on low...
6) Then, cut up entire package of bacon. I like to cut the bacon into small pieces first and then make it crispy, but if you prefer to cook bacon in strips and then crumble...there ya go. Yes, this seems like a lot of bacon, but it's not and it cooks down so much. Once it's crispy, drain fat and add bacon to pot. At this point I left the crock pot on warm and let it hang out until it was picnic time!
7) This next step is total preference. My husband wanted to leave it chunky and keep the potatoes whole. I wanted to slightly puree it. He won. I left it chunky. If you like your potato soups a little thicker, then I suggest using an immersion blender. If not, then I think it's a really great consistency as is. Up to you and your family.
Please taste as you go and adjust spices accordingly. I put a handful of peas in Jeremiah's soup and he ate it right up. =) ENJOY! And please post if you change it and it turns out even better!
