Baked Potato Cheese Soup

if you’re anything like me, when you smoke meats you are often left with some tasty meat after your primary meal. Here is one of my families favorite soups that is delicouse without wild game, but even better when you add that left over smoked turkey or pheasant. Smoked meats add a new depth to this already tasty soup, plus it’s an easy way to use up that left over meat.

Baked Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

4 Large carrots, chopped small
4 large celery stalks, chopped small
½ large onion, minced
4-5 large potatoes, chopped small
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons flour, can omit if you want gluten free and sub out for cornstarch
2 cups broth, you can use Vegetable, chicken or even better wild game bird broth.
2 cups water
2 teaspoons cracked pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1.5 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, or any of your favorite cheese your family likes

Garnish:
Green onions
1 cups cheddar cheese
Left over bacon bits

Directions:
• In large stock pot or Dutch oven cook bacon bits over med-high heat. Once bacon is crispy remove from pot, leaving grease behind
• Add carrots, celery, onions, potatoes  and garlic to bacon grease and mix, season with salt, pepper, rosemary and paprika stirring to coat evenly. Cook veggies for 5 minutes until they start to sweat
• Add broth and water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer
• Simmer soup for 30 minutes until all veggies are soft
• While soup is cooking mix flour with 1.5 cups of milk in a small glass bowl and whisk until smooth and no clumps.
• Pour flour mixture into soup and remove from heat
• In a blender or food processor blend half the soup until smooth. * be careful soup will be hot and you don’t want to burn yourself. I do it in batches
• Add blended soup back to pot and fold in 2 cups of cheese
• Serve immediately and top with cheese, green onions and the bacon bits you removed earlier.

Try spicing up this soup by adding some leftover wild game meats. In our family we love to add leftover smoked pheasant or turkey. It adds depth and amazing flavors to this already amazing soup. I promise you there wont be much leftovers after everyone has a second and in some cases a third bowl (my wife).

From Field To Plate
Jeremiah Doughty