Baked Potato Soup

***This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for entering!***

Hello!

I’m off to munch hot hor dourves and sip champagne punch at my company’s Christmas party, but wanted to share the recipes from my Mom’s unforgettable lunch extravaganzaaa yesterday, before I forgot. Oh, and kick off the next giveaway as part of the Month of Holiday Giveaways – whee!

First thing’s first – the recipes to my Mom’s Baked Potato Soup and Corny Cornbread!

Baked Potato Soup

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Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes

5 slices bacon

1/2 cup butter

1 large onion, diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups milk*

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Scrub and prick potatoes with a fork then bake until soft in a 400 degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out potato pulp. Set aside and discard skins.

2. Cook bacon in a large soup pot until crisp. Remove bacon, drain, then crumble – reserving bacon fat in pot.

3. Turn the heat down to low, melt butter in bacon fat, then add onion to the pot. Saute for 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in flour until well combined, then cook for several minutes, but do not let it brown. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, crumbled bacon and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Stir and cook until cheese has melted, then stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if necessary, until desired thickness is reached.

4. To serve, ladle into bowls or bread bowls and top with remaining cheddar cheese, extra crumbled bacon, sour cream or green onions!

*Since my Mom made this the night before she served it, she let it cool a bit on the stovetop, then added 2 cups of milk on top of the soup before she put it away in the fridge, otherwise it’d be too thick. Just re-heat and eat when ready!

For the most perfect slightly crispy, slightly sweet side kick to this warm soup, bake up some Corny Cornbread!

Corny Cornbread

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Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 (14.5oz) can cream corn

1 (14.5oz) can kernel corn, half drained

2 eggs

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

1/2 stick butter, cut up

Directions:

Lightly butter a 1 1/2 – 2-quart casserole dish (my Mom used an 8×8 dish.) Mix together corn, eggs and corn bread mix. Pour into casserole dish, dab with cut up butter and bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes uncovered.

Seriously irresistible. Like I said yesterday – I didn’t know right away how I felt about it, but I was craving it hardcore today. It’s da bomb!

Month of Holiday Giveaways!

Sing it with me now…

Oh, there’s no place like home Panera for the hol-i-days,

’cause no matter how far away you roam,

When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze a bowl of mac and a cornbread muffie,

For the holidays, you can’t beat home Panera, sweet home Panera!

Panera has SO graciously donated two $10 Gift Cards for this tasty, holiday giveaway! Enter up to 3 times, to win 1 gift card, by Tuesday, December 14th @ 5pm central. Here’s how:

1. Tell me what gift you are MOST excited about giving to somebody this holiday season.

2. Vote for my dishes on the Breakstone Blogger Challenge Website and leave another comment.

3. Share this post on Twitter or Facebook, by clicking on the icons on the side of this post, and leave another comment.

Goodluck! You know there’s something tasty waiting on the other end of that card!

PS Check out Panera’s “Ode to Bread” Facebook Page for details on how your “ode to bread” could appear in USA Today. Sweet!