Potato Soup- a Decemberween Miracle!!

It has been nearly a year since sharing my fatty goodness with the world. I give you my Decemberween miracle, Potato Soup. This gift is given in honor of the true reason for the season : Butter.

This meal is stupidly cheap to make. You need about $4. Less if you keep a normal persons pantry and have russet potatoes, heavy cream, milk, celery, butter and an onion on hand. Btw...that is all you need for this recipe. Those exact things in the following quantities.
Potatoes- 6 medium - plain Idaho brown. Don't get fancy.
Celery- 2 stalks
Cream- 1 cup. You could use 1/2 and 1/2, but why?
Butter- 1 stick
Onion- 1 medium. Yellow or white.
Milk- 1.5 cups
Water-1.5 cups


In a big pot on medium heat, melt stick of butter. While the stick turns into a butter bath, peel and finely dice the onion and celery. Yes, peeling celery is an actual thing best done with a veggie peeler. You can skip the celery peeling if that creeps you out too much.
Drop the onions and celery in the butter and let them simmer away for a few minutes- until everything is soft. The smell will smell of sweet buttered onions when they are ready. I don't know how long that is and should time it some day...but trust your nose.
While the onions and celery simmer peel and cube your taters. I like mine in 1/2 inch pieces so they cook faster. Toss the spuds in the pan and coat with butter. Let simmer about a minute so they soak in the butter.
Dump in water, cream and milk. Stir. Simmer on low/ med low for about 30 minutes stirring every few so it doesn't froth over or get burned. Add some salt and pepper to taste. When the taters are tender, enjoy. I started with a cold pan and no veggies ready at 4:45 and by 5:30 the soup was ready so this is a quick dish.


*please note, cream based soups froth pretty hard when a boil sets in so you really need to baby sit it. The reason I give extra attention to this step is because it is the perfect meal if you need a flipping break from chores/ kids/ husbands. You have an excuse to enjoy a glass of wine in the kitchen while you read US Weekly and stir soup. Just like the pilgrim wives did back in the day.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes- Not for the faint of carb

These are the best mashed potatoes on the planet. The best. If you are able to participate in carbs, enjoy. If you are not, sorry for clogging your reader with food you can't have. again.

Shopping List:
3 lbs of potatoes. Any kind you have. My favorite are red or Yukon.
1 onion - yellow or white. It matters little.
Bacon- at least 4 strips, more if you love flavor and hate your arteries.
Sour cream- about 1/2 cup ( minimum) not low fat/ fat free
Butter- 1 half stick. or so.


1. Dice the potatoes to half inch cubes. I don't peel them unless I use brown russet potatoes.
2. Toss taters in water and boil till they are softer than fork tender. Maybe the right term is squishy?
3. Crisp up the bacon in a fry pan. As crispy as you like it.
4. Chop onion, small dice.
5. After bacon is crispy let bacon set on paper towels to cool.
6. Fry onion till soft in bacon fat.
7. When taters are done, drain in collander.
8. Mash taters roughly.
9. Add in sourcream and butter, mash till creamy.
10. stir in onion and bacon.
11. enjoy.
12. snip fresh chives on top of you like. They are tasty but not necessary.

As a bonus, my bacon vinaigrette recipe.

Take bacon grease and dump into a glass liquid measuring cup.
What ever volume is present add 1/2 in acid ( vinegar of the balsamic variety is a good choice)
Whisk together with some salt and pepper to taste. Toss on salad greens with the veggies you like and pomegranate or mandarin oranges. Or both. Tasty. Salty/ sweet/ crunchy/ Awesome.
You love this right? Right.
xoxoxo,
your belly.