Potato Soup... from SCRATCH!

So I've been trying to try some new things specifically with cooking. I got the idea to try this fun meal from a friend's blog here. She has links to other blogs with the actual recipes. I actually made this the night of Halloween, which I wouldn't recommend because it is very time intensive. We really liked the soup and it was EXCELLENT for leftovers. (I really HATE leftovers so this is quite the accomplishment.) The bread bowls weren't really worth the time, but I always find making bread so interesting (the whole 3 times that I've done it).

Recipe for the Potato Soup:

Ingredients:
-4 large baking potatoes
-2/3 cup butter
-2/3 cup flour
-6 cups milk
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1 1/2 (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
(I usually add more because I love cheese)
-12 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided
-4 green onions, chopped and divided
-1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

Instructions:
Wash potatoes; prick several times with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour or until done; cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp and reserve. Discard shells. Use a potato masher to mash the potato so it isn't so chunky.

Melt butter in a big pot over low heat; add flour stirring until smooth. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium to medium heat high; stirring constantly until thick and bubbly (at least 30 minutes).

Stir in potato, salt, pepper, 1 cup cheese (I just do a big handful which is probably more than one cup), 1/2 cup bacon, and 2 tablespoons green onions. Cook until heated.

Stir in sour cream; cook just until heated (don't boil). Sprinkle servings with remaining cheese, bacon and onion and enjoy!


Recipe for Pumpkin Shaped Bread Bowls:

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 cup tepid water
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
-3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
-1 beaten egg white

Instructions:
Pour the yeast in the 1/4 cup of warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes to activate the yeast. Once the top is foamy with bubbles, pour the yeast mixture into your mixing bowl. Also add the other cup of water and the salt. Mix this together. Add some drops of food coloring to color the water a nice orange color. I used liquid food coloring and put about 4 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow.

Next, attach the dough hook to the mixer. Add the flour a little bit at a time. Keep kneading the dough for another 2 minutes after all the flour is in. You’ll see a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Spray a large bowl with oil. Place dough into the oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Place in a warm place and let rise for 1 hour. It should double in size.

Flour your surface and rolling pin. Punch down the dough and remove it from the bowl. Remove a small handful of dough and add some green food coloring to it. Knead the dough to mix the color as thoroughly as possible and set aside. Knead the rest of your orange dough. Separate into 5 small round balls (for kid sized bread bowls) or make 4 round balls for a larger bread bowl.

Set your round dough balls on a greased cookie sheet. Take the green dough and make 4 or 5 small stems by making little round balls. Place the stems on the top and middle of your orange dough balls. Cover it again with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the dough is ready, beat the egg white and brush the top of the dough.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. When you tap it, it should sound hollow. Allow it to cool before slicing. Slice the top of the pumpkin bowl off and hollow out the inside of the pumpkin to make a hole for your soup to sit in. Now, fill with your favorite soup!

Here are some pictures from my cooking experience!






I've actually made the potato soup again since we tried it the first time. I got a potato masher instead of bending up my wire whisk again. I'm trying to find an easier way to mash up the potatoes. It takes an hour in the oven before I can even start skinning and mashing. Does anyone know if you can do this process in the microwave faster without losing quality?