Baked Potato Soup & Waffle Sandwiches

Hi! I'm Christina, a former teacher, turned SAHM to a sweet, beautiful, hilarious eighteen month old little girl. I blog over at This Woman Cooks!, which started out as a food blog many moons ago and has slowly transformed into more of a mommy blog. I still share recipes, but mostly I like to write about my life as a SAHM and our crazy little adventures.

I'm happy to be here guest posting for Amanda today! I thought I'd share something we had for dinner recently that we absolutely loved, the mini included!

I like to make soup when it's cold out and it has been pretty chilly here lately. Baked potato soup is one of my favorite soups, probably because of all the toppings! I like to add crispy bacon bits, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives, if I have some on hand.

What I really like about this recipe is that half of the soup is actually cauliflower- not potatoes! It's a great way to get more vegetables into your kids, they will never know the difference. You can decide if you want to bake your potatoes in the oven or in the microwave (I chose the microwave) and it all comes together fairly quickly, 30 minutes tops!

I also love making waffle sandwiches to go along with soup. I toasted up two waffles, spread some mayo, added smoked virginia ham, and colby jack cheese. A few minutes under the broiler and it's nice and warm, with the cheese melted. That's my kind of sandwich!

Source: adapted from Skinnytaste
Servings: 2

2 russet potatoes, scrubbed 
1 small bag of frozen cauliflower 
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
10 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 
Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. If you prefer to use your oven, bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool potatoes slightly and peel. I found it easiest to scoop out the flesh and add it to my pot. 

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water until tender. Drain. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes, and cauliflower to a large pot and bring to a boil. If you have an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Or, pour soup into a regular blender and puree. Return soup back to the pot.) Add sour cream, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with cheese and bacon and any other toppings you like!

I hope you enjoy! Thank you for having Amanda!