Name: Loaded Mashed Potato Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons bacon drippings (or equivalent amount of salted butter); 1 medium onion (chopped); 10 oz. (1 1/4 cups) chopped fresh mushrooms; 21 oz. (2 3/4 cups) chicken stock or broth; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika; 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes; 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 2 scallions (finely chopped); 4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled); 3 tablespoons sour cream; 2 oz. heavy cream or half-and-half

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When you’ve got a tight grocery budget to work with or you’re looking for recipes using Thanksgiving leftovers, make a batch of mashed potato soup. It’s creamy, filling, and less than a dollar per serving to make.

I don’t know about your week, but my week has been insanely busy!

I volunteered at my church to help bake items to serve at the Easter weekend services. By volunteer, I mean, I got crazy in the head and offered to bake 27 dozen cinnamon streusel cupcakes and accept no pay whatsoever for them. Like I said, I’m a little bit crazy, but believe it or not, I feel incredibly blessed right now.

Getting out of the house has been a good treatment for my anxiety disorders, and besides that, the skills I learned in the culinary program at FVTC are finally being used for the good of my fellow man (and woman!) Anyway, because I’ve been so busy, poor Brian has been completely neglected in the area of home cooked meals this week. I’m grateful that I made his favorite meatloaf recipe over the weekend that we’ve been able to reheat and enjoy, but he really deserves a nice freshly prepared meal tonight. That’s why I’m going to make a big batch of this mashed potato soup. I love that it’s hearty enough to stand up on its own if need be, and that it’s super quick and easy to prepare…less than 30 minutes from stove to table. The best news of all is that it’s a frugal feeding meal of the week, coming in at $.84 per serving. I’ll serve it up with a nice tossed salad and some garlic bread, made with my favorite sprouted grain baguette and we’ll be feasting for just under $1.00 per serving! CHA-CHING!!

Of course, a great bowl of soup can also be complimented with a great sandwich, like this BLT Esquites Sandwich. It’s a regular BLT, but the bacon got all fancied up into a weave and I tossed some Mexican street corn (Esquites) over the top. Yummi to the umpteenth degree!

If you’re looking to keep things small enough to have this for lunch, I suggest pairing it with a couple of my buttermilk cornmeal biscuits or some easy cheesy ranch biscuits!

I hope you have a chance to make this mashed potato soup.

If you do, please come back and leave a comment and rate recipe to I know what you think of it!

Loaded Mashed Potato Soup

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Servings -5

Ingredients

3 tablespoons bacon drippings (or equivalent amount of salted butter)
1 medium onion chopped
10 oz. (1 1/4 cups) chopped fresh mushrooms
21 oz. (2 3/4 cups) chicken stock or broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
3 cups prepared mashed potatoes
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 scallions finely chopped
4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 oz. heavy cream or half-and-half

Instructions

Cook bacon until crisp. Place on paper towel to drain and set aside to crumble.
In a large saucepan, cook onion in drippings and/or butter until softened.
Add chopped mushrooms and cook until tender and onion is golden.
Add stock/broth, salt, pepper, and paprika, stirring to mix.
Blend in mashed potatoes, stirring until lumps are gone.
Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and add cheddar cheese, stirring until it is melted and smooth.
Mix in scallions, crumbled bacon, sour cream, and cream/half and half, stirring until heated through but not boiling.