Thursday, February 28, 2013

Mashed Potato Soup

My family likes meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  But, we always end up with extra mashed potatoes that never get eaten and then end up in the trash.  So, I decided to make a soup with them.  With sequestration coming, I've been mindful daily of not wasting food and how we spend our money.  So, here's my recipe...

Mashed Potato Soup
1 medium or large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter

Saute onion in butter until softened and beginning to brown.  Add 1/2 tsp. dried thyme.  Saute for a minute until fragrant.  
Add 4 cups chicken broth and left over mashed potatoes.  In this case, I think I had 3 cups of mashed potatoes left.  Vary the chicken broth with how much mashed potatoes you have--you don't want it too runny.  Use a whisk to mix in the potatoes.  After it is all mixed, let it simmer for 5 minutes.  
Then put soup in a blender and puree.  Return soup to pot.  Simmer until it is the thickness you desire.  As it cooks, it will thicken.
Add 1 tsp. brown mustard, 1/2 cup half and half, and 1 or 2 cups cheddar cheese.  You can also add 1 or Tbsp. of butter to give it a richer taste.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
Brown a ham steak in a separate fry pan and chop into bite size pieces.  Add ham to soup.

Serve.  My family often likes to throw in a few croutons when it is served.

So, that's our soup.  My husband was not looking forward to it and was skeptical, but he was surprisingly happy with how it turned out!  My kids all ate it too.  The best part is that there's no more leftover mashed potatoes in our refrigerator!




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