Cool days are pretty much a rarity where I'm from but when it comes,
the last thing I ever want to do is get out of bed. And go to work. Humph.
Wouldn't you just want to stay tucked under that warm, soft blanket and fade away into la-la land instead of being woken up annoyingly by that persistent alarm?
Two days ago, we were happily stuffing our faces with Southwest Loaded Baked Potato Skins, weren't we?
Plenty of leftover mashed potato is good.
Leftover mashed potato makes amazing Potato Cheddar Soup. Like loaded baked potatoes, only soup version.
Thick and creamy potato soup topped with crisp crumbled bacon,
grated cheddar cheese and cilantro...
Just me, my blanket and a big ol' bowl of cozy warm soup.
I want to be totally wrapped up in that delicious warmth, happily slurping away.
Perfect for cold rainy days and lots of cuddles.
recipe adapted from Kayotic Kitchen
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar or honey (I like a hint of sweetness to my soup but you can omit this.)
120 g cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Toppings:
grated cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon bits
chopped cilantro
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the dijon mustard. Add the flour. Stir for about a minute just to get rid of the raw flour taste. Stir in the mashed potatoes. Pour in the chicken broth and milk. Keep stirring until there are no more lumps. Stir in the sugar. Cook for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring, until nice and thick.
If you want a really smooth soup, you can transfer the soup to a blender or a food processor. (I used a sieve since I don't have a blender nor food processor.)
Put the soup back in the pan over low heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
Top potato soup with bacon crumbles, chopped cilantro and more grated cheese. Serve with warm toasted bread.
NOTE: This makes quite a thick soup. If you want it thinner, just add 1/4 cup more of chicken broth or milk each time until you get the consistency you want. Then adjust the seasonings.
UPDATE: I actually forgot to add the mustard and sugar in the procedure (my apologies!) and made some corrections after a reader's comments. Thank you to Amy Graves for calling it to my attention.