Potato soup

My friend Lauren has a bunch of mashed potatoes she needs to use up. One of my favorite uses of mashed potatoes is shepherd's pie (here's a good recipe from Rachael Ray). Yet another is this potato soup.

4 slices diced bacon
1 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, sliced
Several large potatoes, peeled and cubed
Chicken broth to cover
2 cups milk
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
4 oz gorgonzola or other blue cheese

In large soup pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon, add onion and celery to bacon grease and cook until soft. Add potatoes and stock just to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Puree part of soup with stick blender, add milk and parsley, season, and heat through, about 4 minutes. Stir in bacon and cheese, serve.

To make this with mashed potatoes, just add a little more broth or milk and cook for less time, just until the mashed potatoes are heated through. Obviously you can skip the pureeing step. When the soup is the consistency/temperature you want, add the cheese and eat. Don't skimp on the gorgonzola, either--that's the best part! Well, that and the bacon.

Cost: well, if you already have the mashed potatoes...maybe $1 for the milk, $2 for the cheese (depending on the quality/how much you use), and $1 for everything else. $4 for a whole pot of yummy potato soup...mine usually feeds two adults as a main course for at least three or four separate meals.