Potato Soup with the Works

I got my food processor in this week, and I was DETERMINED to find a good recipe so I could use it immediately. I love cooking and have been loving my kitchen gadgets even more! After looking through my fridge and pantry, I realized I had everything I needed to create potato soup. I kind of combined two recipes since I can never leave well enough alone while cooking - one from Rachael Ray and one from All Recipes. Here's the recipe I came up with.

Potato Soup with the Works

8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4-5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until golden brown. Remove cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate and reserve.

2. Add onions, garlic, green onion, and butter to the bacon fat and cook until tender. Add in the thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.

I used my super cool herb scissors to cut the green onions

3. Add potatoes and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until pototoes are tender.

4. Puree the soup (or maybe just the potatoes) using a food processor. If you would like a heartier soup, do not process all of the potatoes.
Note to self - do not ignore the "liquid max fill" line on the food processor. It isn't pretty.

Probably only should have put 1/4 of it in at a time...oops!

5. Return mixture to pot over medium heat. Stir in half and half, 1 cup of cheese, and hot sauce. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring until thickened. (Since I lost a lot of my liquid by attempting to drown my food processor, I added extra chicken broth and half and half)

6. Serve with crushed bacon, green onions, and cheese on top.

I used almost all of my new kitchen gadgets for this recipe - potato peeler, herb scissor to cut the green onions, cheese grater to grate the cheddar cheese, and the food processor to puree the soup mixture. I also used the food processor to grate the leftover cheese. I can't wait to use this gadget more often. It came with a dvd (which DIDN'T cover the liquid max fill line btw), and it seems like it can do a TON of amazing things. Most of which I had no idea about until watching the dvd. Can't wait to use it more - YAY!

PS: I'm writing this during the Saints playoff game because my hubby is ridiculously loud right now. He's cheering and yelling at the tv so much that Buster put himself in his crate (not a normal occurrence considering he's usually cuddling with us on the couch)

Who Dat!