Baked Potato Soup & Bread Bowl - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For Soup
2 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes
1 jumbo yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb raw bacon, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 quart water
1/4 cup chicken base
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup butter
1 cup whipping cream
For Garnish
shredded colby cheese
fried bacon bits
chopped green onion
For Breadbowl
2 cups hot water
2 egg whites
1 ounce sugar
3 3/4 lbs flour
2 cups cold water
2 1/2 tablespoons lard
1 tablespoon yeast

Preparation

PROCEDURE - For Soup:.
Boil potatoes in water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Saute bacon, onions and celery over medium-high heat until celery is tender in large, heavy pot.
Drain bacon grease and return bacon, onions and celery to pot.
Add milk, water, chicken base, salt and pepper.
Heat over medium-high heat until very hot but do not let soup boil.
Melt margarine in heavy, large saucepan over low heat.
Stir in flour to make a roux.
Mix well and allow to let bubble, stirring 1 minute. If desired, a larger amount of roux can be made to produce a thicker soup.
Gradually add roux to soup, stirring constantly. Continue to cook, stirring, until thick and creamy.
Stir in potatoes, parsley and cream. Serve hot, garnished with cheese, bacon bits and/or onions. Serve in Bread Bowl.
PROCEDURE - For Bread Bowl:.
Mix ingredients together until soft dough forms. (the dough should be slightly firm to the touch and form a ball. if it is too sticky add a little more flour or if it seems too dry add a little more water).
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside until double in size, then punch down.
Scale into 4 inch balls, roll round and place in a warm place until they double in size.
Bake in 350' oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool.
Slice off top of bread and hollow out inside to form a bowl, careful not to make the \"walls\" too thin, about they should be about 1\" to 1 1/2 thick.