Potato Soups

I LOVE potato soup. My favorite food at Olive Garden is their Zuppa Toscano soup. My favorite at Marie Callendar's is their cheddar potato, and even in my vegetarian days I would request that we eat out at Stuart Anderson's Cattle Company because I adored their baked potato soup. So I've tried a few recipes for potato soup in my days. I don't know that these are the best, but they are the most recent.

The first is for a chowder and is based on a recipe called "Sunday Night Potato Chowder" from the cookbook "The Dinner Doctor." (A great Christmas gift!) It was quick and easy, and used ingredients I generally always have on hand.


Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon-cooked and cut up (I had extra ham on hand, so used it instead. I know Jill and Marla will have this problem often, too.)
• 4 cups frozen tator tots
• 1/2 cup or so of diced onions
• 1 can of corn (drained), or 1 cup frozen
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can chicken broth

Directions:

Put the tator tots into a big pot and cook on low heat, stirring around, until thawed a bit. Add the corn, onions, ham, milk and broth. Cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer at least 15 minutes, or until tots are soft. They will mash up as you stir the soup.

The second is for a baked potato soup.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cans chicken broth
6 large potatoes
1 cup sour cream

1. Cook the potatoes until done, either in microwave or the oven.
2. Meanwhile, mix the butter and flour over medium heat. When it has thickened a bit blend in the milk and broth slowly. Leave this cooking over low-medium heat while you work on the potatoes. (If I have any extra onions or celery around I often add them, too, cooking them in the butter before adding the flour and milk.)
3. Peel the potatoes and cut up about half and mash the other half. Add to the soup.
4. Add sour cream and serve.