Recipes for Anna

My best friend Anna sent me an email this weekend about my recipe post I added last week. She requested two recipes, including one that my mom would always fix when she would come over to my house. As she said, the bacon cheddar ranch dip was a comforting addition to all our late-night girl talks on the weekends. I thought I would post them on here to share with everyone. I'll put them under my Recipes column on the left pane of this page too. Both of these are from my mom, so if you try them & don't like them- blame her! :) Enjoy!

BACON CHEDDAR RANCH DIP

-1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
-1 container, 16 oz. sour cream
-1 cup grated cheddar cheese
-1/4 cup crumbled bacon (I just buy the container of crumbled bacon pieces)

Mix together the sour cream & dip mix. After well blended, add the cheddar cheese & bacon pieces. Chill for 1 hour. Serve with your favorite kind of potato or tortilla chips.


WISCONSIN POTATO CHEESE SOUP

2 T. butter or margarine
1/3 c. chopped celery (Yes Anna, you HAVE to add the celery!) :)
1/3 c. chopped onion (Since I'm the queen of shortcuts, you can also use onion flakes.)
4 c. diced, peeled potatoes
3 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of paprika (optional)
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
Croutons (for garnishment, optional)
Fresh chopped parsley (for garnishment, optional)

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute celery and onion until tender. Add potatoes and broth. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. In batches, puree potatoes in a blender or food processor. Return to saucepan. Stir in milk and seasonings. Add the cheese and heat only until melted. Garnish with croutons and parsley. Yields 8 servings. Note: Another great garnishment idea is sprinkling with cheddar cheese, bacon bits and chopped scallions.