We are just getting going with calving season on the ranch and that = early mornings and late night checks for my rancher. It almost feels like we have a newborn again!
I’ve been asked before, so I should clarify: calving season means that all of our mama cows are having their babies. We usually keep the heifers closer to ranch headquarters because they seem to have more issues that the veteran cows who know what they are doing.
When life gets crazy during calving season, having a quick meal ready is key. I love soup year-round and this one is great because it is filling and freezes easily. You can make it ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to a week, or keep in the freezer for another time to pull out and throw on the stove when you need a meal.
{ Make-Ahead Potato Ham Soup }
Ingredients
- 2 cups red potatoes (peel half and keep skins on half), diced
- ½ cup onions, diced
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk
- 2 cups ham, diced
Directions
- Dice up potatoes, onions and celery.
- Combine potatoes, onions, celery, S&P, and water in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil then simmer until vegetables are tender.
- Combine flour and melted butter.
- Add butter, milk and diced ham to vegetables. Heat just to boiling.
- Let set a couple of hours to allow flavors to blend (this does this in the fridge, too!).
Note: This could be easily halved, but I like to make a big batch and freeze some for later!
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