The Eight Days of Ham

Day Four

On the Fourth Day of Ham

we had more ham salad

and Chunky Potato Soup.

The ingredients for the chunky potato soup are:

2 slices bacon

¼ cup onion, diced

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups turkey stock

2 cups mashed potatoes

Dash hot sauce

½ teaspoon dry thyme

¼ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 medium potatoes

½ cup Half-and-Half

Cheddar cheese, grated, for garnish

Fresh chives, chopped, for garnish

Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes, about 1 centimeter in size.  Place in a microwave-safe dish and add a splash of water before covering and microwaving on high for about 5 minutes.

Dice the bacon and sauté over medium-high heat in a large pot.  Remove the cooked bacon and set aside to drain on a paper towel.  

Leave about two tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pot and sauté the diced onion over medium heat until softened.  Add the flour to the pot and stir while cooking.

Add the turkey stock to the mix. Stir well.

Next, add the mashed potatoes, hot sauce, dry thyme, Old Bay Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

Then add the cooked, diced potatoes to the pot and pour in Half-and-Half.  Allow soup to slowly cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.

Garnish the soup with some grated sharp cheddar cheese, crisp bacon and chopped green onion if desired.

At this point I was too busy trying to multi-task to take pictures, as I had to make the mashed potatoes from scratch while I was working on the rest of the ingredients for the soup. At any rate, the soup was finished and the peasants danced for joy.

 Garnish with grated cheddar, chopped chives

and the cooked, diced bacon.

Pair with a ham salad sandwich

and this is a hearty meal for a cold

winter's evening.