Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Today, I decided that since we have plenty of leftover ham from Easter, that I would try my hand at making this soup. Although, I am sure that it is not low in calories because of the ingredients that go into it, it still sounds delicious and will make for a nice hot lunch. :)

I first needed to bake 5 large, Russet potatoes. After cleaning the potatoes up a bit, I used a fork to poke a few holes in each side of the potato. I then placed them on a foil lined baking sheet, brushed them with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled a little salt on them. I then put them in a preheated 400 degrees F oven and baked them for about 45 minutes, flipping them as needed.


The recipe is going to be as follows:

12 T butter (I used margarine)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk (we had none on hand so I made a buttermilk substitute, see bottom of post)
5 large Russet potatoes baked, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup scallions (we have none, so replaced with finely diced onion)
2 cups leftover ham, diced
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt

In a large pan (I used the largest one I had and it still could have been bigger), melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it is smooth. Then gradually whisk in the milk, buttermilk and heavy cream, whisking it constantly until it is fully incorporated and slightly thickened.


 Add the potatoes and the scallions, or in my case Vidalia onions, because I had no scallions on hand.



  Bring to a boil, stirring often. To help this boil a bit quicker, I turned the heat up to about medium high. Turn the heat down to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. I stirred this once in awhile, because it starts getting much thicker. Remove lid and add the ham, sour cream, salt and pepper and shredded cheese. Stir as you add each item and once you add the cheese, stir until it is melted. Then remove from heat and serve.






This soup was real tasty. It is thick, creamy, full of flavor and perfect for a cold day. It is also very filling, meaning there will be leftovers. :) I found this recipe online, I forget where; tweaked it a bit and made it my own. Enjoy.

Buttermilk Substitute

Place 1 T of either white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. I used lemon juice. Then add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the 1 cup line. Let stand for about 5 or 10 minutes. It should start to look like it's curdling. Stir and use what the measurement calls for, in place of buttermilk. In this case, it called for 1 cup of buttermilk, so I used all of it.



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