Northern Moon: Warm and Cozy Potato Soup

In case you haven’t gotten the hint yet, we like to eat. Don’t take that the wrong way, we don’t like to stuff our faces at McDonald’s (not often anyway) or even general restaurant food very often, but we do get enjoyment from the food that we cook. Both myself and my husband like to cook and we share the duties frequently. That doesn’t mean we always have an idea on what to make for dinner. There is nothing that irritates me more (okay maybe there are some things, but very few) than when Doug asks me what I want for dinner, I answer, and he responds “oh, no I don’t want that, how about…..” . WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE! J

Vent session over.

Last night was not this situation, we both agreed that potato soup would be a great way to bring in the impending snow storm (yes, you heard correctly, it is January 12^th and we are getting our very first Wisconsin snowstorm). I have to admit, I make some awesome potato soup. I promise, it’s easy (pretty much everything I cook is easy….I leave the tough stuff to Doug).

So, here is my potato soup recipe. Disclaimer: This soup does start with a rue…..no, don’t stop reading now. I promise, from someone who was absolutely terrified of making one for a really long time, it’s not hard. To begin, melt 4 TBSP butter in a soup pot. When butter is melted, add flour, one tablespoon at a time and whisk. Add flour until soft ball forms in the middle. Once it has formed, continue stirring frequently while it cooks for 2-3 minutes. Then add 2 cups of milk while whisking. When this is well blended, add two additional cups of milk. Cook on low for 5 minutes or so. Add 2-4 cups of water, depending on the consistency you prefer. Add garlic salt to taste andAlpine Spice. Then add 2 cups chopped carrots, 2 cups cubed potatoes, and 1 cup cubed ham or small amount of crumbled bacon to taste. Then the secret ingredient goes in, I add approximately 1 ½” of Velveeta cheese cubed. Stir well, cover, and simmer on low for about an hour. When carrots and potatoes are cooked, soup is ready.