Cottonwood Cooking

Bake 2 large potatoes in the microwave or use two leftover baked potatoes. Cool and cut into bite size pieces.

Boil 2 large cut potatoes with 3 cups of water until soft.

Drain and save the water.

Mash the two boiled potatoes with a little milk (a soft and fluffy texture is desired)

[Do not substitute instant mashed potatoes, since the potato water is an important ingredient in the soup.]

Using the reserved boiled potato water, boil one cup of chopped celery and one cup chopped carrots until tender.

Drain and save water.

[My recipe called for adding one stick of butter, but I highly recommend deleting that ingredient, since the soup was so rich without that added butter.]

Add the reserved boiled potato water and 1 pint of whipping cream to the mashed potatoes, mixing until smooth.

Pour into crock pot. Add cooked celery, carrots, and chopped baked potatoes.

Add 1/4 cup of bacon bits, 1/4 cup of minced dried onions, and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Season with 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of pepper

Finish filling crock pot with milk to the desired consistency.

Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours to blend the flavors and melt the cheese.

1 large onion chopped (or use green onions for a little color)
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 pkg. Hidden Valley dry dip mix
1 can each of the following (do not drain):
chicken broth
black beans
white beans
Mexican style tomatoes, diced
plain tomatoes, diced or chopped

Combine ingredients and simmer 1 hour.
(crock pot may take 4 hours or more and it improves the longer you cook it)

Serve with tortilla chips (strips work well), shredded cheese, and sour cream

Ladle soup into a bowl then add several small dollops of sour cream, and then sprinkle on chips and shredded cheese to taste.

It’s good meatless or you can add hamburger or diced grilled chicken.