Cheesy Potato Soup w/Ham Sandwiches

I love potato soup, especially in the winter.  Actually, I'm a fan of most any thick, cream-based soup, but potato soup is definitely a favorite.  My standard recipe involves milk, heavy cream, lots of butter, and BACON!  Tastes great, but plays hell on the waistline.

Missy found a recipe in Cooking Light magazine for a cheesy potato soup.  Sounded good, and it's in Cooking Light, so it must be less unhealthy than the other stuff, right?  Turns out, it's pretty darned tasty too.

You can get the original recipe here, but I made a few small changes.  My version is below.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chopped red potato (about 2 pounds)
• 2 1/4 cups 2% low-fat milk
• 2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 
  

• Preparation

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly.
3. Add potato, milk, and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently.

For the ham sandwiches, I used four sweet Hawaiian rolls, split them and baked at 400F for about 4 minutes.  A swipe of mayo and a swipe of mustard, a slice of ham on each (folded into fourths), and you have a perfect little ham sandwich to go with the soup.

There was enough for the two of us to eat for dinner two nights in a row, and it was delicious.  Sure to become a favorite in this house.