My Loaded Potato Soup Recipe

Loaded Potato Soup

1 bag of Ore Ida steam-able frozen mashed potatoes
1/2 cup flour
4 Tbls butter
6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
4-5 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup sour cream
6 cups of 2% milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 tsp minced garlic
Salt/Pepper

1. Microwave potatoes according to package.
2. In large pot over medium heat, melt butter and add 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add milk and remaining flour. Cook 5 minutes until thickened.
4. Mash potatoes and add to pot.  
5. Stir in bacon crumbles, garlic, cheese, onions, and sour cream. Add salt/pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Serve in bowls topped with dollop of sour cream and sprinkled cheese.

Love Thy Neighbor

When I first moved to West Virginia I was terrified. I was convinced that I wouldn't fit in, would be lonely, and worst of all be completely overwhelmed by graduate school. My apartment complex constantly had students moving in and out so it was hard to establish any type of real friendship. However, I was blessed to have one neighbor move in who truly has made a difference in my life. Her name is Danielle Bray... aka Danny. She was there for all the good and bad times of grad school. She was also very supportive of my cooking and artwork - a great motivator.

One dish that I would often make and share with Danny was my Loaded Potato Soup which was always perfect for cold WV weather (partly why I moved to FL). It includes all the fixings of a baked potato: crumbled bacon, green onions, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

This week I made it here in FL because believe it or not the Low temp has been in 30's (fooled me!). I discovered a quick/easy trick to making any potato soup recipe:

This was a great substitution for peeling and boiling potatoes after a long day at work! And my recipe still turned out to be delicious.