Potato Soup

Potato soup is comfort food to me. It is the perfect meal to serve on a cold day when you want to unwind and relax. It is one of my family's favorite soup to eat in the fall and winter months. 

Ingredients

6 bacon strips, diced
3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 carrot, grated
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 c. water
3 cups milk *see below
8 ounces cheese cubed
2 green onions, thinly sliced, optional

Directions

Add potato cubes into a large pan and fill the pot with water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until the potatoes are tender. Drain.

In a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain all but 3 tablespoons grease. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the drippings and fry until the onion is translucent. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the milk, stirring constantly, so the flour does not become lumpy. Season with salt and pepper. We also add Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning to the mixture as well.

Add the potato cubes, grated carrots and chicken bouillon cubes, Cook and stir until the mixture is at a simmer. Do not let it boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until potatoes are tender., stirring every couple of minutes, so the soup does not burn on the bottom.

Stir in cheese. Or you can just put the cheese in a dish and let people add their own cheese when you serve the soup.

** We often use 1 can evaporate milk, 1 1 /2 c. water and 1 c. whole milk. You can also use powdered milk as well.