Potato and Ham Cheddar Cheese Soup

This recipe probably precedes the processed Velveeta chunk cheese that has made cooking creamy, cheesy soups so easy. I say probably because I don't feel like looking up the exact date that Velveeta hit the market. My Mom was making this soup in my childhood and I don't recall ever seeing that in the local grocery store.  But enough about Velveeta as it is not an ingredient in this soup... real cheddar, milk and fresh vegetables give this soup its flavor and creamy goodness.  When I say real cheddar, I mean "grate it yourself." I have found that pre-shredded cheddar, while great in a lot of recipes, doesn't work as well when it's the main ingredient like it is in this soup. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in preservatives and just doesn't blend in the same manner as the hand-shredded block cheese.

Another reason I opt for the block cheese is that shredding the cheese with a hand grater was my job as a child on nights that my Mom cooked this soup.  My Mom was super strict when it came to just about everything, and snacking was one those categories that fell under strict guidelines.  The snack rule meant: we couldn't.  But while grating the cheese, I could take quick little bites from the bowl and my Mom wouldn't know, or at least she didn't say anything.  Grating cheese meant I could eat my favorite treat: cheddar.

My Mom's hand-written recipe & the grated cheddar in the back

 My Mom always said that you could tell how good a recipe was by how messy the pages of the cookbook were.  You might not notice all the mess on the soup page, but you can see that this recipe book has had a good amount of use.  Well-deserved use.  My Mom is an amazing cook.

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter
3 C water
1/2 C flour
4 C milk
4 C shredded cheddar
2 C diced ham
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 C sliced celery
1 C sliced carrot
1/2 C diced onion
salt & pepper & Tabasco to taste


First, slice your veggies (potatoes, celery, carrot, and onion).  Add the 3 C of water to a Dutch oven (large pot) and add the sliced veggies.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes and veggies are tender.

While the veggies are simmering, shred that cheddar and prepare your milk and flour.  You'll need everything handy and ready when making the roux because a seconds delay can destroy your roux!

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Gradually add the flour, stirring until smooth. Add the milk and increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Check that the potatoes are ready to go, meaning that they are soft and the desired texture for your soup.  If your veggie pot is ready, slowly add your cheese mixture to the Dutch oven with the vegetables.  Stir to combine.  Add ham, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Keep on low until heated to the desired temperature.  Be careful to not boil or you will ruin the soup.

Serve and enjoy!