Foodie Friday: Loaded Potato Soup in Bread Bowls

I am enjoying listening to Christmas music and puttering around the kitchen this afternoon. (And enjoying the fact that I have the energy to do it!) I decided that I wanted to make a hearty soup for supper as it is very cold here today. (I also needed to make something in the slow cooker as M will not be home before I have to leave again.)

I started with a basic dough recipe for the bread bowls.

Basic Dough Recipe

1 pkg yeast

1 c hot water

1 T sugar

1 t oil

1/4 t salt

2 1/2 c flour*

Dissolve yeast in water in large mixing bowl. (I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook.) Add sugar, oil, salt and 1 1/2 c flour. Mix. Gradually add in more flour until a dough ball forms. Turn out onto floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out into four even circles. Grease four small bowls. Place bowls on baking sheet upside down. (You may want to cover the sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray.) Drape dough circles over bowls. (Sometimes this takes some artful arranging. They won't look perfect, but will be yummy.) Bake for 10 to 15 minute. (Until they are starting to brown.) Carefully remove from sheet and pry out of bowls. (It will be very hot.) Place on wire rack to cool.

*I used a combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour.

Loaded Potato Soup

10 slices bacon** (chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)

3 med. carrots (quartered and chopped)

3 celery stalks chopped

1 med. onion chopped

5 med. potatoes chopped into 1 inch or smaller pieces

1 c heavy cream

4-5 c chicken broth

1 pkg frozen broccoli

Shredded cheese to taste

Green onions sliced as garnish

Brown bacon in large stock pot. Remove bacon and add onion, celery, and carrots. Saute until soft. Add bacon back into pot. Add cream and stock. Add potatoes. (I didn't have much time to let this cook, so I microwaved the potato pieces with some water for about 10 minutes to get them cooking before adding them to the mix.) Add broccoli. Bring to rapid bowl for 5-10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for a few hours, on low all day. 15 minutes before serving, add in cheese. (Or you could just add once served, which is what we did.) Serve in bread bowls garnished with green onions.

**I used thick cut bacon. We get it from M's parents. You may want to use more if you are using thinner cut bacon.