Potato Week: Baked Potato Soup

Today's recipe for leftover mashed potatoes is extraordinarily simple Baked Potato Soup from A Bird in the Kitchen.

Unlike potato soup recipes that call for baking potatoes or preparing a roux, this soup is incredibly fast. I made it for lunch in less than 10 minutes. Cook a chopped onion and some garlic in a saucepan; add leftover mashed potatoes and half as much stock. (We used 4 cups of potatoes and 2 cups of vegetable broth.) Stir together and bring to a boil.

Garnish with whatever baked potato toppings you have on hand: we used cheddar cheese, parsley, and sour cream. Scallions and bacon would be nice additions if you have them. The original recipe uses bacon and is worth taking a look at (not least because the food photography is better).

We also have croutons in our soup, because Jack is on a kick of making rockin' toast. These croutons actually represent the second time he made toast for me in one day.