baked potato chowder

Its been raining buckets here, as the fall chill moves in.  Weather like this makes me hungry for soup...nothing like a hearty bowl of hot soup on a chilly, damp night.  

I have quite a few soup recipes I like to make, but this one is a favorite.  And although its 'homemade', it cheats by using two cans of store bought potato soup to start it off.   I also like it because its quick...its not a soup that has to cook for hours and hours for the flavors to mix.   It makes a lot, so invite some friends over to share it with you, or plan on eating it for leftovers.

Loaded Baked Potato Chowder
2 cans cream of potato soup (Campbell's or store brand, it doesn't matter)

4 cups of nonfat or 1% milk

1 cup frozen corn

2 cups frozen southern style hash browns

2 cups of cubed ham

pepper to taste

Toppings:

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

bacon bits


Directions: Mix milk and soup in large pot. Stir in hash browns, corn and ham. Bring to boil on high heat stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer 10 minutes. (If you need to simmer longer, just turn it down to low). Ladle soup into bowls, top with green onions and cheddar cheese (and bacon bits if desired). Serve with a crusty bread, like ciabatta or baguette.