Make James Happy Potato Soup

Bacon and sausage are RARE inclusions in our home, reserved for vacation, Christmas morning and birthdays when requested.  However, I leapt off the No Processed Meat wagon last year (for one month) due to my son's injury.  

Since food and his pain meds were his ONLY source of happiness at the time, I obliged him by giving him what ever his little heart desired.  Thus this concoction, consisting of his favorite flavors.  

BEWARE, it is NOT for the faint of heart.  

It is so rich, it may get up and 

walk itself right over to the table.  

In fact, if you even whisper the words "Low Fat" 

it may jump right out of the bowl and slap you silly.  

You have been warned.

This makes a BIG pot, so there are 

plenty of leftovers for later on.

To Get 

3 boxes of Chicken Stock

1 package Jimmy Dean sausage (or ground beef/turkey)

1 lb. of bacon (or more)

1 bag/box of melty cheese 

Velveta will work - or any cheese that melts smoothly

1 container of heavy cream 

Also called heavy whipping cream, you could use half/half if you want to be stingy with your fat grams.

1 red onion

1 sweet onion

1 yellow onion

2 stalks celery

3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes

1 stick of REAL butter

sprinkle of black pepper

To Do

Fry up bacon (reserve 6 spoons of the melted goodness)

Go ahead and eat half of the bacon as you are cooking, it helps the time go quicker and is the DUE of the cook, save the other half to sprinkle on top of soup later. 

Cut up the onions & celery stalks and sauté them in the melted bacony goodness.  Set aside.

Brown the sausage (or ground beef) drain.

Pour the 2 boxes of broth in your soup pot (or dutch oven)

Cube the potatoes, rinse them and plop those babies in the broth bath.  

Put in the onions & celery, sausage (or ground beef)

Simmer this until potatoes are tender.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter (please use real butter, the other stuff is plastic junk) and cook the flour to make a pale blond roux. (About 20  min of stirring) 

If you have never made a roux, it is absolutely the BEST thickner you will EVER taste.  Believe me, you WANT to learn how to do this!

 See exactly here, photos and all.

(http://www.thekitchn.com/building-blocks-how-to-make-a-53522)

Roux making video here.

Add in enough of the 3rd box broth (gradually) to your roux until it is gravy like.  Add this to your pot where the first 2 boxes of broth are simmering.

Add melty cheese and simmer (do not boil)  until it is all melted.

Add in the room temp heavy cream (or half/half)

Taste, and add in salt/pepper as necessary.

When you ladle into bowls, sprinkle grated cheese on top and sprinkle bacon on top.

NOTE: 

You can leave out the cheese and heavy cream 

if you are going to have this often, 

or for a non-special occasion.  

It is still yummy, 

but it is merely a peck on the cheek 

from your brother 

as opposed to a melting kiss 

from your Honey Pie.

  

So you choose what suits you best.