Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Soup

I made a huge batch of mashed potatoes and cauliflower a couple of weeks ago.  They turned out fabulous, but even with both of us taking extra large portions, we still had a lot of leftover.  I didn't have anything planned for the week, that would be a good match for the leftover potatoes and I really didn't want them to go to waste.  So, I sat down looking for recipe ideas to transform those mashed potatoes into something new. 

Normally, I would head over to that recipe site that allows you to search for recipes based on the ingredients you wish to use.  This time, I decided to search Pinterest for recipes using leftover mashed potatoes.  I found lots of great options, but decided that this Rachel Ray recipe fit best with the ingredients I had on hand. 

After a few changes, to better fit our tastes, this is what I came up with:     

Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tsp. Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 4 Tbs. butter
• 4 Tbs. flour
• 2 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 slices leftover turkey bacon, diced
• 2 cups leftover mashed cauliflower potatoes
• 1 cup shredded reduced fat Colby-Jack Cheese
• croutons for garnish (optional)

Directions: 

• In a dutch oven or soup pot, saute onions and celery in hot olive oil until tender.
• Add butter.  When melted, stir in flour. 
• Stir constantly until thickened.
• Add the broth and evaporated milk and allow to simmer until thick and bubbly.
• Season with pepper.
• Stir in the mashed potatoes and cook until heated through. 
• Once hot and bubbly, whisk in the shredded cheese.
• Soup is ready when the cheese is completely melted. 
• Ladle into soup mugs or bowls, top with croutons if desired. 

Notes:

• This soup was amazing!  The photo above, is just a small tasting bowl.  I wanted to sample the soup to be sure it was seasoned enough.  I could have eaten the entire pot, it was that good! 
• I chose to only use 2 slices turkey bacon, since I was pairing the soup with Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches for dinner.  More bacon certainlty wouldn't ruin the recipe, but I was completely content with the lesser amount.
• Joe suggested that some finely diced double-smoked kielbasa, in place of the bacon, would be a tasty option as well.  I agree.    

I'll be linking this post to the following blog carnivals and linky parties: 

• Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
• Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans
• Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple 
• It's a Keeper Thursday at It's a Keeper
• Frugal Food Thursday at Frugal Follies