WHAT'S FOR SUNDAY DINNER? BAKED POTATO SOUP AND OLD WORLD BROWN BREAD

 This Baked Potato Soup is a combo of two different recipes.   Some favorite parts of one and some favorite parts of a another.... TA-DA!...the perfect Baked Potato Soup! This is the best answer to leftover baked potatoes I have ever seen.  The minute Fall seems to be in the air, I bust out the soups. This is a crowd pleaser and can easily be doubled to feed even the biggest families.    It is not particularly "diet" friendly but, a great comfort food.  Have a salad for lunch...this soup is worth it!   I also like to serve it in a "MINI" version.  Not as much guilt!  Either way...be prepared to be deeply satisfied!

 

Baked Potato Soup

 2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

7 cup milk

4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled

and cubed (about 4 cups)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

10-12 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

plus more bacon for garnish, if desired, (I always want more bacon)

1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in large Dutch oven or soup pot.  Stir in flour until smooth and bubbly.  Gradually add milk, whisking until thickened.  Add potatoes and onions.  Stir constantly until soup begins to bubble.  Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Thin a bit with additional milk if it gets too thick.  If desired, garnish with additional bacon and maybe a little more green onion or a sprinkle of additional cheese and serve immediately.

For beginners, these potatoes were baked a couple of days ago. They have been sitting in the fridge just waiting for soup day.   I just peeled them and cubed them into bite sized pieces. 

 Melt butter in a pan add flour.

 Stir until smooth and bubbly.

While stirring, gradually add milk. Whisk until thickened.

Add cubed potatoes and onions.  Stir constantly until soup begins to bubble.  Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. 

Add the remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.  You can thin this soup a bit with milk if it gets too thick.  

Garnish with bacon and a little more green onion or a sprinkle of additional cheese and serve immediately.  

 Serving it in mini flares is sooooo cute.  I stick a half of a piece of the "Brown Bread" into the soup.  It is so good!

What is "Old World Brown Bread"?   Well...I will tell you...it is DELICIOUS!  A first glance at the ingredients and you might think you were looking at the beginnings of a killer dessert...NOPE!  It is a RRRREEEAAALLLYYYY good bread! My children love this dark little bread. My son thinks I can make the dark bread that "Outback" serves...I am personally offended...mine is MUCH better!!! :]

Old World Brown Bread 

2 tablespoons yeast, 2 cups hot water,pinch of sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 to 3½ cups flour (more or less)

2 ½ cups whole wheat or rye flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons gluten (optional) (to be honest, I never put it in.)

Dissolve yeast in water with pinch of sugar.  While the yeast is “working”, prepare the cocoa, brown sugar, salt, oil, gluten and whole-wheat flour.  Mix thoroughly into the yeast mixture with beater attachment.  Change to the dough hook and add the white flour, reserving the last ½ cup to the end.  Let it mix for about five minutes.  Let the dough rise in warm place until double in bulk (about two hours).  Punch dough down and form into four small round loaves.  Let them rise on baking sheet until double.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Prepare cocoa, brown sugar, salt, oil, gluten (if desired) and whole-wheat flour.  

Once the first ingredients are mixed well, add the white flour. Let mix for five minutes.

Put dough in a bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap.  Let rise until double the size.  

Once the dough has doubled in size, "punch" dough down and form into four small round loaves.  

Place on baking sheet for final rise, until doubled in size again.  

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cool.   I am usually cooking for so many people that I double this recipe every time.   Plus, I can always think of someone who might like getting a loaf of yummy bread.  *As a side note, this bread freezes really well. 

 Is there anything better than homemade soup and fresh warm bread?  NOPE!

ENJOY!