Dreamy Creamy Potato Soup

Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry: A creamy potato soup filled with bites of ham, vegetables and bacon. Perfect for for any lunch or evening.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 4  large potatoes, Diced
• 6  cups chicken broth
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon black pepper
• 1 -24  ounce  Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes
• 1  medium onion, Diced
• 1  stalk celery, diced
• 2  fresh carrots, diced
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1  cup ham, cubed
• 4  slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2  cups milk (any type)
• 2  green onions, julian chopped for garnishing

Directions

1. Boil potatoes in the chicken broth till tender in a large stock/soup pot. About 20 minutes. While that is cooking, Peel film at corner of Simply Potatoes package to vent and heat on high for 3 minutes in microwave. Set aside. Cook bacon in a skillet. When that's finished cooking, add your onions, carrots and celery. After they are cooked till tender, add your cubed ham and then flour to the mixture. Stir. after it's all coated in flour, add your 2 cups of milk. This will make a nice thick rue. After thickening this mixture, poor into the cooked potato cubes. Stir. Now add your Simply Potatoes Garlic Mashed Potatoes to all the ingredients. Stir again and cook for 20 minutes on medium low heat. Top it off with 2 tablespoons of butter and the green onions before serving. Delicious and I guarantee they will want seconds. Serve hot.
2. This refrigerates well if there's any leftovers.