Yummy Mashed Potato Soup for dinner!

I am not a menu planner, but I am trying... I like to try new recipes every so often.  Allrecipes.com is seriously one of my favorite sites for new recipes, but I also collect cook books!  Anyways... I have been trying to use up all of our leftovers and trying to plan menus so that if I have any leftovers from meal #1 I can put it right into meal #2.

I have had a container of mashed potatoes sitting in the fridge for about a week.  I kept trying to remember to make gravy and have the potatoes with whatever meal we were having, but they never sounded good to me.  Well, tonight was make or toss night for leftovers...
Enter Rachel Ray and her fabulous Mashed Potato Soup recipe!

The kids loved it!  May was not a huge fan, but I think she was a little distracted my the mini oyster crackers I gave her for her soup.  I took some to Mike at work, so I haven't heard back from him yet, but he's an Idaho boy, so anything with potatoes is usually a hit with him!!

So here's the recipe.  Hope you have a chance to try it soon!  It is definitely a keeper for this family!

Mashed Potato Soup

Ingredients

Drizzle of EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6 slices bacon, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 tablespoons flour

1 quart chicken stock

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

8 ounces shredded yellow cheddar cheese

Chopped chives, for garnish

 

In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.

Drain off excess bacon fat from the pot and add butter. When it is melted, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the pot and cook with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in mashed potatoes, then stir in the cheddar cheese with a wooden spoon and cook until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon and chopped chives.