Mother Nature must’ve taken pity on us pitiful souls here in the Mid-South. Readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetiic have been canceled for the past five school days due to the snow and icy roads. Fortunately, the mercury is rising above freezing, and daily highs in the 60’s are expected in 48-72 hours. (The two four-legged backyard hounds will be happy to hear this!). But wait…there are some trade-offs. Rain showers are expected tomorrow night and upwards of 3-5″ inches could cause flooding. I’m having Christmas movie flashbacks to Clark Griswold finding the overdue Mother’s Day gift in the attic, and Cousin Eddy’s comment about the jelly/jam club gift that keeps on giving…yeesh!
To make matters worse, panicked shoppers wiped out all meat, dairy and bottled liquids before this storm even hit. Semi-trucks trying coming in to restock supplies obviously have struggled to deliver due to the icy skating roads, so local megamart shelves continue to be sketchy. (I’m having flashbacks to the ‘Rona times too! At least we can buy toilet paper today!)
I’m not complaining though. The power hasn’t gone out and our pantry stays stocked thanks to years of habit. So, with temperatures still hovering around freezing, I started thinking soup sounded good. The Hubby isn’t a huge fan of soup for dinner. Chili. Definitely. Stew. Yes. French Onion. On occasion. Cream of something without meat. Nope. I decided to go rogue tonight…after all I’m the one fielding the Groundhog Day-esque questions from the youngest Minion about what’s for dinner (It’s not beef!); and nobody else with opposable thumbs in the house is pulling anything out of the frozen Frigidaire.
Over 25 years ago, I wrote this Cream of Potato soup down from somewhere in my hand-dandy, pre-marital recipe notebook (complete with a tiger and lightning bolt cover). Based on the recipe’s lack of spices and herbs, my culinary prowess was burgeoning…sub-par and spice-less at best. So, this updated adult version features thyme and black pepper. Irregardless, you probably have the bulk of the ingredients already in your chill chest and pantry–spuds, onion, carrots, celery, cream of chicken soup, milk, butter and cream cheese. (Do not skip the cream cheese! It’s what gives this soup a luscious richness.) To finish the soup, cut thick-cut bacon into lardons (1/2-inch strips) and fry until crispy. Garnish the finished soup with crispy piggy goodness, shredded cheese and dried chives or parsley. This one is The Hubby and Minion B approved!
Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon
When temperatures dip below C-O-L-D, a hearty cream of potato soup is in order! Pantry friendly staples like potato, carrot, celery, milk and cream of chicken soup make this a budget (and family) friendly meal. (Oh, and butter and cream cheese!) Topped with crispy, crumbled bacon and cheese, it’s comfort food in a bowl.
Ingredients
8 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3–4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2–3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tsp. salt (Kosher, sea or table)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1–8 oz. brick cream cheese, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch cubes
4–5 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch lardons
1/2 to 1 c. shredded cheese of your choosing
Dried chives or parsley
Instructions
In a large pot, combine potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. Add water to just cover the vegetables. Add the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until vegetables are tender. Drain off all but about 3 cups water.
Add thyme, black pepper, cream of chicken soup, milk, and butter. Stir until melted and evenly combined. Add cream cheese, again stirring until smooth.
While soup is cooking, fry bacon until crispy over medium high heat. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool slightly.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese, bacon and either dried chives or parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.
IMNPB
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