corn potato bacon soup

One good thing about living in cold Minnesota is... soups taste so much better! It's not only tasty, but it keeps us warm. So here's a new recipe for the soup. It wasn't heavy, so you can keep going for more servings (but it hits you afterwards since you'll be filled up with potatoes). 

Ingredients: 

Potatoes - 3 cups (cubed)
Carrots - 3-4 medium or 1 cup (cubed)
Onion - 1 med (chopped)
Corn - 3 cobs or 1 can (liquid drained)
Celery - 2-3 stalks (cubed)
Bacon - 5 slices (cut in small pieces) **see TIPS

Chicken Stock - 5 cups **see Prep

Green diced chilies - 1 small can
Milk - 2 cups
Brown gravy mix - 1/4 cup or
Mexican blend shredded cheese - 1 cup (or more, depending on how cheesy you want)

Salt, pepper and paprika - to taste 

Prep:

1. Chop and cube all ingredients. Set it aside. 
2. [Corn] If you are using fresh corn, boil the corn for 3 minutes. Take it out, let it cool, and shave off the kernels. 
3. [Chicken stock] If you have leftover rotisserie chicken bones, boil them in 4 quart water for 30-40 minutes on medium high. Drain the soup and discard the bones. 

Cook:

1. In a pot (5 quart of bigger), fry bacon until somewhat crunchy - about 3-4 minutes. 
2. Add onion, carrots and celery to bacon. Fry for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in chicken stock. Let it bring to boil (don't cover). Turn down to medium heat and add in potatoes and corn. Add in green diced chilies as well. Let it simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. 
4. Meanwhile, heat milk in microwave safe bowl or cup. Add in gravy mix and mix well with the milk.
5. When the potatoes are soft, add in milk/gravy. Bring to boil. 
6. Turn down the heat to low, add in cheese. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste to see if you need to add salt and pepper. You can add paprika for some kick as well. If it's too salty, you can add more chicken broth, water or milk. 

All mixed in!

Serve:

1. Serve with warm bread sticks or toasts (with lots of butter on!). Nice salad on the side will go well, too.
2. We also had it with shrimp/fish tacos (recipes coming up soon), which was a nice addition. 

 TIPS:

• If you don't want to use bacon, or want to use other meat like chicken or ham, add 2 TBS of butter or olive oil to the pot.