Fully Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup With Ginas Spinach Salad 2 Recipes

FULLY-LOADED CHEESY POTATO SOUP WITH GINA'S SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan to toast the flour, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the stock, and then the milk and beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Add additional chicken stock if necessary to adjust the consistency. Sprinkle with hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining Cheddar, sour cream, bacon and chives. Serve with Gina's Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans.
• For the pecans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in all the spices and the pecans. Stir and toast the pecans for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool.
• For the salad: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallots in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.
• Add the spinach to a large serving bowl. Toss the greens with the prepared dressing, the bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and spiced pecans.

FULLY LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the potatoes on a roasting tray and bake for 45 minutes. When done, the tip of a paring knife should go through the potatoes easily.
• Slice the bacon into lardons (thin strips) and cook in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
• Add the flour to the drippings in the pot and stir to combine. Cook, without adding color, until the flour and fat has combined, about 1 minute. Pour in the milk while you whisk to incorporate. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
• Scoop out the potato pulp from the skins and add to the milk mixture. Mash with the back of a wooden spoon leaving it a little bit chunky.
• Add the cooked bacon (leaving a little out for garnishing the soup), 1 cup of the cheese, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with sour cream (from a squeeze bottle), sprinkle with remaining bacon bits, grated cheese and chives.

FULLY-LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and crumble. Reserve drippings.
• Place potatoes in a pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon crumbles, reserved bacon drippings, flour, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat; add the boiled potatoes, half-and-half, and chicken broth. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add sour cream and 1 cup Cheddar cheese; cook and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes. Garnish soup with remaining Cheddar cheese and parsley.

FULLY-LOADED CHEESY POTATO SOUP WITH GINA'S SPINACH SALAD 2

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan to toast the flour, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the stock, and then the milk and beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Add additional chicken stock if necessary to adjust the consistency. Sprinkle with hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining Cheddar, sour cream, bacon and chives. Serve with Gina's Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans.
• Gina's Spinach Salad
• Spiced Pecans:
• Spinach Salad:
• For the pecans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in all the spices and the pecans. Stir and toast the pecans for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool.
• For the salad: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallots in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.
• Add the spinach to a large serving bowl. Toss the greens with the prepared dressing, the bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and spiced pecans.