cheesy potato soup

ooh yummy soup makes enough for leftovers! you can easily scale this down for as much as you want but i always make a big pot. you could also sub bacon with ham for a heartier soup! the bacon gets reserved til the end to stay crispy, but if you do diced ham instead you can just leave it in to cook with everything else!

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

in a large, deep nonstick pot cook half a pack of bacon on medium heat until crispy. remove & set aside for later on a paper towel lined plate

Step 2

turn heat to medium-low, allow to cool slightly, and add half a stick of butter to the bacon drippings already in the pot

Step 3

add 1-2 diced onions and about the same amount of diced carrots. season with thyme, salt & pepper (and whatever else you want — garlic salt, onion salt, paprika, i play it by ear) and cook until onion is soft and translucent but not quite browned

Step 4

peel and dice half of a 5lb bag of gold potatoes into bite sized pieces. when the onions are soft, add the potatoes to the pot. cover with 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 extra cups of cold water, or as much as is needed to cover everything. taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed to make sure the potatoes will season well as they cook. toss in a bay leaf or two if you’re feeling fancy and heat to boiling, turning heat back up to medium or med-high

Step 5

boil for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are cooked and fork-tender. chop half of a block of velveeta into small cubes, and turn the heat down to medium low as you add them to the soup. stir and melt the cheese thoroughly!

Step 6

the soup should now be rich and creamy, but you can optionally add a cup of whole milk or heavy cream (non-dairy would also work but i haven’t tested what kinds!) to make it even creamier. turn off the heat now so the milk won’t scorch!

Step 7

top with chopped reserved bacon, chopped green onion/scallion and serve! great with toasty bread on the side to dip or a dollop of sour cream on top