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Cheesy Potato Soup...Comfort in a Bowl!



The weather in southern Kentucky over the past weekend was a little blah and rainy.  I guess it was the tail of hurricane Isaac moving up this way.  It wasn't cold, but just dreary and when it's dreary I usually get out my soup pot.  We actually eat this soup all year round, just not as much in the really hot weather.  It's the soup I make most, because everyone likes this one and I usually always have the ingredients on hand. 

 This is what you will need:

5-6 medium size potatoes, peeled and cubed (Idaho or Russet work well)
3 chicken bullion cubes ( I prefer Knorr)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
enough water to just cover the potatoes
4 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half  (can use all whole milk, but it's much creamier with the half and half)
2 cups whole milk 
8 oz. block of cream cheese, cubed
1 lb of Velveeta cheese, cubed  (can use a good American cheese)

Garnish

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced green onions
2 cups chopped bacon cooked crisp
                                                                                                       


                                                                                          
Place the peeled, cubed potatoes in a stock pot or dutch oven.  Put just enough water over them to cover them.  Don't put more because you are not draining this off.  Add the chicken bullion cubes, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Bring this up to a boil and then turn to low to simmer until the potatoes are tender.







While the potatoes cook, we will make a simple white sauce or bechamel...isn't that fancy?  My mother always called it a white sauce and it's the one sauce every cook needs to know how to make, because you can do so much with it.  So don't stop reading because I said...'bechamel'...lol.  I say this because when my son first started cooking for himself and asked how to make this soup, when I got to this step, he lost interest.  I am sure he can master it now though.    I do mine in the microwave, because it's quick and much easier, but you can do it on the stove.  Place 4 Tbs of butter in a bowl and melt, whisk in the flour (plain or self rising...doesn' t matter), cook in the microwave for about 30 seconds or on the stove just until it starts to bubble.  This is to cook that raw flour taste out.  Sprinkle in a dash of salt and pepper and then whisk in the half and half and the milk.  Cook on hi in the microwave for 3 minutes or on the stove until it starts to bubble.  Remove from the microwave and whisk out any of the lumps. 
Add the cream cheese and Velveeta cheese cubes.  Microwave for another 3 minutes.  Remove and whisk again until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.  You might have to place back in the microwave for a minute or 2 and whisk again.  This is now a cheese sauce and it should be a thick cheese sauce.   If you are doing this on the stove, you need to whisk the whole time after you bring it to a boil and add the cheeses.  It will stick if you don't.  That is why I like to use the microwave for this.  This mixture is added to the potatoes that you have cooked, leaving the water over them, but first take a potato masher or fork and mash the potato cubes a little.  Don't pulverize them, but just mashed a few of the slightly.  This helps thicken the soup and gives it a good texture.  Pour the cheese sauce in the pot and stir to mix it all until it's well incorporated.  The sauce should blend with the liquid in the potatoes and become just the right consistency.   Taste for salt and pepper.  I usually sprinkle the top with a little more seasoned salt.   

  
I like to set out bowls of chopped bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions or chives and let everyone garnish their own.  









20 comments:

  1. This soup is the best Potato soup I have ever had! We loved it!!
    thanks.

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  2. This is ten million times better than O' Charleys! It was the best we have ever had!! I put this recipe in my recipe box!! :)

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  3. GREAT soup! My family LOVED it. I made the mistake of doubling the recipe on the first attempt of making it. (Seeing as how I am NOT the expert cook) By doing that, I makes two dutch oven pans full. I wish that it stated how many if should serve to begin with.
    Otherwise it was GREAT!

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  4. Oh my goodness, that's a lot of soup. At least it's good left over. I don't usually give serving sizes just because what might be 8 servings for one family might be 4 for another. Most of my recipes are family recipes that we have just made up ourselves so I have no way of knowing that information really. I am glad you liked it though.

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  5. Looks delicious. I'm going to make this soup especially during Washington's rainey season. Something to eat in front of my fireplace.

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  6. Looks delicious. I'm going to make this soup especially during Washington's rainey season. Something to eat in front of my fireplace.

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  7. How many calories per serving and what are the nutritional values coz I'm thinking I could only eat about a tablespoonful....LOL!

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  8. I made this recipe as directed and there was too much sauce and it was thin. My first instinct when I saw the recipe called for 4 cups of liquid, plus the basic liquid on the potatoes, was that it was too much for the amount of potatoes, but I followed the recipe anyway. I wound up only using about two-thirds of the sauce and it was O.K. It thickened up with the potato liquid after I poured most of the remaining water off of the potatoes. It smelled delicious and worked out fine after the adjustment.

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  9. If you had 'too much sauce' you didn't thicken your cheese sauce enough or you used extremely small potatoes. There should not have been a need to reduce the amount of liquid. This is, after all, a soup. If you put just enough water to cover the potatoes, and then add your thickened cheese sauce, the amount of liquid should be just right. Do not reduce it.

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  10. This soup is absolutely delicious!!!!

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  11. Just got through making the cheesy potato soup. It was really quick and easy. The microwave method for making the white sauce was a plus. Great idea. The soup was very delicious!

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  12. I made this earlier in the week it was amazing. I did have to add some parsley my family loved it. It's a winner. I didn't have half & half so I used canned condensed milk (not the sweet kind) in place of it.

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  13. Sounds like an awful lot of salt. What about those of us who are having to watch salt intake???

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  14. Oh I just love all of your recipes just wish there was a way to store my favorites on this site instead of writing it all down or making it a fav on my lap stop. And I can't make a copy.....so what do u suggest????????? Thanks for any help.
    Debbie

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  15. Just copy and paste it in a new file in a new folder. and then you can print too

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  16. This potato soup has now replaced my old recipe that I have been using for years, Yummy!

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  17. I make this soup basically the same, but do add a little parsley (for color) and instead of the sauce I thicken with instant potatos. I have made it with chopped green chili's instead of the parsley. Any way you want to fix it, it is GOOD !!!

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  18. Kathy, sometime give "Better Than Bullion" a try - unlike most products of a similar nature the first ingredient listed is whatever it is - chicken, beef, lobster and so on. Most bullion products have salt as first ingredient. It is really good stuff, small jar so you use a tsp, or a tbl at a time and keeps well in frig.

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