Mama's Cheesy Potato Soup

I am so, SO over winter this year! The beauty of all the white-coated tree limbs outside my office window lost their appeal ten negative five degree days ago! It's been too cold to even go outside to enjoy the snow, at least for wimps like me. 

We are all going a little stir crazy, which means many days, mama is losing her mind.  

One of the only consolations to days-on-end of being snowed in and frozen stiff, is a warm bowl of hearty soup. I don't normally share recipes (we each have our giftings and I am very comfortable with the fact that mine is not a culinary gift.) 

This recipe, however, is worth sharing! And my kids request it constantly.

It's my mother's cheesy potato soup recipe, and while it won't win any health awards, it will definitely keep you warm and your family happy.

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Start by baking 10-12 medium potatoes. I use red potatoes, baked at 350 for 45-55 minutes. I tend to back my potatoes mid-morning, so that they can fully cool before I have to peel and dice them. Dice all your potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Dice up several stalks of scallions or green onions. I call them by either name, but refer to the picture if you're not sure which thing I'm talking about. You'll also want to cube  your block of Velveeta cheese now into approximately 1/2 inch cubes. 

Now that the prep work is done, let's start the soup! Begin with a roux (if you're like me, you have no idea what that means - I'll explain!). On medium-low heat (my range goes from 1-7 and I cook on 3), melt a stick of butter and mix in 2 tablespoons of flour. Season with salt and pepper. This is your roux, or soup base, and the texture should look like the picture below. Once the roux is made, slowly stir in a can of chicken broth. Next, add your cubed Velveeta, your milk, potatoes and scallions, keeping the cooking temperature at medium-low. You'll need to stay close to your soup now, stirring regularly until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are well blended, which can take twenty minutes or so. If the soup seems too thick, add more milk. I was told you can add instant potato flakes if the soup is too thin, but have never had that problem. Serve with a fresh, crunch baguette and enjoy! 

Mama's Cheesy Potato Soup

10-12 medium potatoes (bake, then peel & cube)

1 can chicken broth

1/3-1/2 gallon of milk

1 large block Velveeta, cubed

5 stalks green onions, diced

For roux: 1 stick butter, 2 tablespoons flour, salt & pepper

1) Bake potatoes, let cool then peel and cube

2) Cube Velveeta and dice scallions

3) Make roux over medium-low heat

4) Slowly stir in can of chicken broth

5) Add remaining ingredients to soup (milk, cheese, green onions, potatoes) and stir regularly until cheese is melted & all ingredients well blended (about 20 minutes)

6) Serve with warm bread for dipping! 

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