You say potato...I say Soup!

I am a lover of thick, creamy soups. Stick to your ribs kind of soups. Because of this I was hankerin' to make some potato soup one day. I didn't have a recipe handy so just made one up as I went along. Choosing what I had available and one secret ingredient.

For Kate's Potato Soup you will need:

1 qt. carton chicken broth

5-6 medium red potatoes, cubed with skins on

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

5 oz. assorted shredded cheeses, I used swiss and sharp cheddar

1 parmesan rind (secret ingredient)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 t. nutmeg

In a large pot, fry the bacon till crisp, remove and set aside. Add onions and sauté till golden. Pour in chicken broth and add the potatoes and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat till potatoes are tender. Remove about 2 cups of the potato-broth mixture and place in a blender and blend till smooth. Using a potato masher, lightly mash the mixture in the pot till it is chunky. Add the blended mixture back into the pot along with the bacon, heavy cream, cheeses, parmesan rind and salt and pepper. Simmer till cheeses have blended into the soup, stirring occasionally. If you find your soup is too thick, just add a bit of milk to thin it out. Serve with crusty rolls.

This soup can also be made with additional veggies added into the mix like cauliflower or broccoli. It is a snap to make and DELICIOUS! I save my rinds from parmesan cheese in the freezer just for making soup. It adds a nice flavor and every now and then you get a spoonful of melty parmesan. Yum! Enjoy!