Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

How exciting my FIRST POST :)

It is a lovely cold day in Arkansas today,cold weather always calls for belly warming soup. This is a super easy soup and It is DELICIOUS, my oldest son snuck two bowls before his dad was even home.  I promise to post pictures of future recipes...but it was all gone before I could get the camera out.


So, here it is.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup butter
• 5 cups cubed peeled potatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock ( I just so happened to have made a whole chicken yesterday so i took out my handy dandy crock pot and made stock last night. **note to self put up how to make stock**)
• 4 cups 2% milk, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup of crumbled ham. ( i threw cubes in the food processor)

Directions

• In a large pot, saute onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; Add the cup of crumbled ham cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in 2 cups milk, bouillon, salt and pepper. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Yields: a BIG OLE POT OF SOUP :)

Kitchen ooops!!

I had my soup cooking on low after it was all done for a few hours and it was delicious!!!! Aj and i had it for lunch( and thank goodness i did)...then tragedy struck when the heat "accidentally" got turned up and the deliciously smoothe and silky soup turned into a mess. SOOOO LESSON LEARNED let it cook low and slow when its thickening. dont rush it or your milk will look like a bad irish car bomb!!