I rarely eat leftovers in the same form as they were first presented as dinner. I don’t know if this is some sort of culinary ADD or what, but I just get bored eating the same thing over and over again. Does anybody else experience this?
Leftover baked potatoes were staring at me and I had eaten baked potatoes the night before, so I decided to do something different with them. Following the path of many a leftover in my house, they became soup. But not just any soup. Wonderful, creamy, delightful baked potato soup. It will take the chill off, it will cure what ails you, it will just make your tummy happy. And best of all, since the potatoes are already cooked, it’s a snap to throw together.
Creamy Baked Potato Soup
Creamy Baked Potato Soup
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced or chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2-3 giant baked potatoes (3-4 cups cubed potato)
4 cups milk (I used 1% but any kind will do)
2 oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1 tsp. dill
Salt & pepper (start with 1 tsp. of each and add more if needed)
For garnish – crispy bacon, grated cheese and/or minced parsley
In a soup pot, sauté onion, carrots, and red pepper in a little oil or butter until tender. Add potatoes and milk. Heat until it just barely starts to boil, then immediately turn down to a simmer. Add cream cheese, butter, dill and salt & pepper. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make sure veggies are all cooked through and to let flavors blend. Using a stick blender or potato masher, mash up or puree the soup, leaving some chunks (you can skip this if you want a chunkier soup). I leave mine a little chunky but mashing some of it gives a nice texture and thickness that I personally like. Do a little at a time and stop when it looks good to you. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Top with your favorite garnish and eat.
3hungrymonkeys 