cheddar potato soup

stay warm with this hearty soup. once again, i can't recall which magazine it came from. it has been in MY recipe book for years now. i offer you two time saving tips for this recipe.

#1- i use a hand blender right in the pot to avoid transfering small batches of soup into the blender.

#2- i have used canned potatoes to save time and it still came out AWESOME!

Enjoy!

Cheddar Potato Soup

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 T butter

4 cups potatoes, diced & peeled

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

¼ t pepper

Dash paprika

*Sauté onion & celery in butter until tender. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 min or until potatoes are tender. Puree small batches in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cheese, milk, and paprika. Simmer until cheese is melted. Serve with croutons.

Serves 8

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Soup

We are still freezing our butts off here in sunny Florida. We have had record lows for days now and the frigid climate seems to plan to stay for the weekend. Bring on the soup! I scored this recipe on Food Network. It's from Paula Deen, so it must be DEE-lish! I LOVE you Paula!

I plan to chef up this soup tomorrow. Tonight is sushi night with our friends. No, I do not cook every night of the week.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup sliced carrots (about 3 small)
• 2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
• Grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Top each serving with grated Parmesan, if desired.