Cream of Potato Soup

Now that fall has returned to beautiful Colorado it has me craving comfort food more than any other time of year. Fall for me becomes a time of reflection as the year races towards its end and the beauty of what had been begins to fade away making a path for winter. Just like the earth rejuvenates itself with seasons so does the human soul and taking care of ourselves and our needs become paramount. Nothing makes me feel better inside and out than a hearty bowl of soup!

Cream of Potato Soup

1/2 lb. bacon, diced

1 ham steak, chopped (I prefer bone-in and then I remove the bone before cooking)

1 white onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 T. all-purpose flour

1 t. sale

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. white pepper

1/4 t. dried thyme

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup half and half cream

3 dashes hot sauce

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Boil potatoes in a large pot of water until tender. The potatoes will not be in the soup long enough to cook through, so make sure you cook to a tenderness of your liking.

While the potatoes are boiling in a separate pan, fry the bacon til crisp. Place on a paper towel to drain. Set the bacon grease aside, do not discard. In the same pan, fry ham until cooked through. Set aside.

In a large stock pot put a few tablespoons of the bacon grease and saute the onion, garlic, and celery. Make sure to cook until tender and almost translucent, otherwise the soup may be over powered by the onion. Once cooked add the flour, salt, basil, pepper, and thyme. Cooked until thoroughly combined, make sure to continue stirring so that you do not burn the flour. Slowly add the chicken broth until well combined. If the flour tries to lump when you add the broth use a whisk to smooth out the mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes until the broth thickens.

Once the broth thickens turn the heat down to medium low and bring the broth to a simmer. Add the potatoes, bacon, and ham. Stir in the cheese, half and half, and hot sauce. Cook until cheese is melted and heated through but do not bring the soup back to a boil after you add the cream!

I serve this in a bread bowl topped with more crispy bacon, cheese, and chopped green onions. It is also great served along side a grilled cheese sandwich or a BLT.

***If the soup is thicker than your liking you can add additional chicken broth to thin it down some. Also if you do not have chicken broth on hand you can use water and chicken bouillon cubes.