Loaded Potato Soup and Outback Steakhouse Bread

When the weather turns cold here (not often enough!), my thoughts turn to warm comfort food such as potato soup. My regular potato soup recipe is very simple and has been our favorite since early marriage, so if I'm going to vary from the old stand-by, it had better be good. I was perusing Pinterest late one cold night when a bowl of potato soup caught my eye, and I was led to this recipe on blog of Damn Delicious. I have made several recipes from Chungah's website, and all of them have been good, so I decided to try this one. The next day I adapted the recipe slightly and served it for dinner. One bite, and my husband declared "best ever". I loved it too, so I guess my old recipe has been replaced! It is creamy, savory, hearty, and just delicious.

During the same late night Pinterest fest, I found a recipe for copycat Outback Steakhouse bread, the warm, dark bread provided on a cutting board to keep you from starving while waiting for your dinner. I have tried other copycat recipes for this bread with varying results, but this one from the blog of It's Always Autumn was spot-on. It is dark and sweet with soft crumb and light chew, and I could easily eat an entire loaf with butter. I served it with the soup, and we were almost in a food coma. (I used 1/2 teaspoon Wilton's Brown gel paste to deepen the color.)

Here are both recipes. I have included links to the originals along with my adaptations. (I named the soup "Loaded Potato Soup" instead of Loaded Baked Potato Soup, because the potatoes aren't baked.)

Loaded Potato Soup
adapted from Damn Delicious
Serves 4 (but we ate all of it!)

4 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1/2 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
4 cups milk
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instant mashed potato flakes, if needed

In a large skillet over medium heat fry bacon until brown and crispy. Remove from skillet and blot grease with paper towel. In remaining bacon grease brown onion until tender. Add butter to skillet and whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Pour mixture into dutch oven, add potatoes, chicken broth, and milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir in cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes slightly. If the soup is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached. If soup is too thin, add 1/2 cup instant potatoes to thicken.

Serve immediately, garnish with bacon, green onion, and more cheese.


Outback Steakhouse Bread
adapted from It's Always Autumn

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon brown gel paste (for color)
2 to 2-1/2 cups unbleached or bread flour
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt

Sift together 1 cup unbleached flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside. Mix water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon honey in mixing bowl; let sit for about 10 minutes. Whisk together egg,, butter, molasses, honey, and gel paste (if using), and stir into yeast mixture. (I had to whisk vigorously to get the gel paste to dissolve.) Add flour mixture and mix until smooth. Switch to dough hook and add another cup flour. Let mix until dough pulls away from side of bowl and dough is soft and supple, adding a little more flour if necessary.

Place dough in greased bowl and cover; let rise until doubled, an hour or more. Shape into rounds or rolls and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes or more. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes for loaves or 20 minutes for rolls.

Makes about four 6-inch rounds or 16 rolls.