Cheesy Potato Soup

I have a new favorite potato soup! I served this along with chili at my daughter's first birthday party. I thought it would be good to serve two soups to cater to a variety of tastes, plus I wanted to make sure that there would be enough food to go around. Let me just say that this soup put my chili to shame. Guests were scraping the bottom of the pot for this soup while the chili just simmered away. Not that the chili was bad...usually it goes over well...this soup was just that good.

Get your peeler ready! I start out by peeling and cutting up 5 cups of potatoes.


Add in the water and broth.


And the onion, carrot, and bouillon. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.


Now for the red pepper and celery. Throw em' in and simmer for another 6-8 minutes.


This step may throw some of you for a loop. Hey- I didn't say it was diet or healthy potato soup. It's cheesy and creamy and delicious. Keep telling yourself those things as you add a cup of mayonnaise.


And as you cube 8 oz. of process cheese. And while you measure 1 cup of shredded cheddar and 1/2 cup of shredded Swiss. Keep thinking, "Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy!" You won't be disappointed.


Finally, add the potato flakes and pepper and mix well. Then remove the soup from heat and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.


Yummy! I generously sprinkled mine with some chopped green onions before eating every last little bit.


Potato Cheese Soup

4 cups water
2-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules or 1-1/2 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup mashed potato flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a Dutch oven, combine first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat;
simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in
celery and red pepper; simmer for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to
low. Gradually stir in mayonnaise until blended. Add cheeses; stir until melted.
Add potato flakes and pepper; mix well. Remove from the heat; let stand for 15 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Nutritional information- Do you really wanna know? Well okay, but if you just want to enjoy your soup and skip the guilt, then stop reading here.

One serving: (1 cup) Calories: 341 Fat: 25 g Saturated Fat: 9 g Cholesterol: 44 mg Sodium: 749 mg Carbohydrate: 19 g Fiber: 2 g Protein: 10 g

8 WW points per serving.