Potato Cheese Soup

by Craig Stottlemyer

Makes 15 cups of soup

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 sweet onion
• ½ bulb garlic
• 1/3 of one bunch of celery (leaves are OK!)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 5 lbs potatoes
• 4 oz cream cheese
• ½ lb Colby Jack cheese
• 2 cups half and half

Directions:
Start the water boiling and cover with lid. Add in diced up onions, minced garlic, chopped up celery (you can add more or less celery depending on personal preference), salt, and pepper (the order you add these ingredients doesn’t really matter). After each ingredient is added be sure to recover your pot.

Once all the previous ingredients have been added chop the potatoes into about 3/4 inch cubes (doesn’t need to be exact) and add to pot, one potato at a time. It is vital to add only one potato at a time as the first ones added will disintegrate and the last ones added will be left as soft chunks. Stir the pot as you add each potato, making sure to recover the pot after each addition.

Once all the potatoes are in reduce heat and simmer until dangerous, like a bubbling mud pit in Yellowstone. It will take approximately 20 minutes after the last potato is added to reach this state. Once it does reach this state turn off your heat.

Slice your cream cheese into thin slices and add each slice one at a time, stirring well to ensure each slice is melted into the rest of the soup. Once all the cream cheese is added slowly mix in your Colby Jack cheese a bit at a time to ensure it blends properly with the soup. You can either grate the cheese, or slice it thinly using a knife or cheese slicer. You may need to turn on the fire a bit during this process to ensure the cheese is completely mixed in with the rest of the soup.

Once all the cheese is properly mixed in slowly mix in your half and half. If you don’t add the half and half last you will most likely have problems getting your cheese to mix properly with the rest of the soup. Once the half and half is added your soup is done and ready to eat.

Craig Stottlemyer developed and used to make his potato soup for the family. After Craig survived a major accident last year, daughter Beth has taken over the family tradition. The Stottlemyer family agrees that they have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Contributed by Craig Stottlemyer, Mooo News, Novemeber 2013