07 October, 2012

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 cup minced onion
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup ham, cubed
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper (black is okay too)
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, potatoes, onion, celery, and spices. Bring to a boil and boil until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Combine the cream cheese with some of the soup broth and blend till smooth. Reduce the heat and add the cream cheese mixture to the soup. (You could also chunk up the cream cheese to small cubes and stir them in the soup until they are melted - just be sure the heat is reduced so you don't curdle the cheese.) If desired, thicken the soup a little with cornstarch. Serve warm.

To Freeze:
Prepare soup as directed above. Chill until cool in the refrigerator and then divide into labeled freezer bags. If you double this recipe you will get 4-5 quart sized freezer bags of 4 cups of soup in each. To reheat, thaw over night in the fridge or thaw under warm water. Then reheat over low-medium heat until hot.

Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Recipe Origin: adapted from the recipe posted here.