4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
8 oz. ham, finely sliced (I like the deli ham better than the half or whole hams that you find)
2 T. plus one stick butter
1/2 c. flour
8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated
1 round smoked Gouda, grated
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
Sauté onion, garlic, celery and ham in 2 T. melted butter for 8 minutes on medium heat. Cook bacon in a separate frying pan, until crispy.
In a large stock pot boil 8 c. water and add potatoes, cooked bacon and sautéed mixture. Boil on high heat for 25 minutes. Remove a few of the potatoes and set aside.
Make roux: melt 1 stick of butter…when melted, add flour and stir over medium low heat for one minute. Slowly blend this into the stock pot now at a medium heat until thick. Turn heat down to low and slowly add heavy cream. Stir well. Then add salt, pepper and both cheeses. Stir constantly, until the cheeses are melted. Add back the set aside potatoes.
Serve with any topping you want, like green onions, sour cream, shredded cheddar or bacon. Also, if you like it chunkier, set aside more potatoes.
This is from Sharon Brumfield and given to you with her permission. She is an awesome and talented chef!
Groceries:
russet potatoes
celery
onion
garlic
bacon
ham
butter
flour
sharp cheddar
smoked Gouda
heavy whipping cream
salt
black pepper
Approximate Cost: $11.29