Recipe: Q's Pig 'n Potato Soup

In years past my church would serve up a full Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  This past year, however, they did something different.  Instead of spending money on making a full Thanksgiving Dinner for hundreds of people, it was decided to serve soup, salad, bread and dessert.  The money saved is being used to help people in the community.  I chose the Ham and Potato Soup over the Turkey Vegetable and really liked it, it was one of the best soups I had ever tasted.  So I set out to develop my own recipe only adding same additional ingredients.  I added.... Bacon!   Because everybody knows everything is better with bacon.  So here is my recipe, which also can be found over at http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/soups/qe28099s-pig-e28098n-potato-soup/ 

Q's Pig 'n Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• ¾ pounds Bacon
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Onion, Finely Diced
• 10 cups Water
• 5 teaspoons Chicken Bouillon (or 5 Cubes)
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• ½ pounds Cubed Ham
• 6 whole Medium Potatoes, Sliced Into 1/4 Inch Slices And Quartered
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese And Chives For Garnish

Procedure:

1. Cut 1/2 pound of bacon into about 1/4 inch pieces prior to cooking. Saute 1/2 pound of the bacon with the garlic and onion over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
2. Fry remaining 1/4 pound of bacon and once it’s crispy, remove from grease to cool. Once it’s cooled, crumble it to be used as garnish.
3. Combine water, bouillon, pepper and paprika in an 8 quart stock pot and heat to boiling.
4. Add bacon from step 1 and potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes).
5. Add cream and heat on low until heated through (do not boil).
6. Serve with a garnish of cheddar cheese, bacon (from step 2) and sprinkled with chives.