Potato Leek Soup and Applesauce Cornbread

Creamy Potato Leek Soup
From: Allrecipes.com
Submitted by: Michele Hodge
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings
" Cream is added to potatoes and leeks cooked in chicken broth in this simple, easy-to-prepare soup."

INGREDIENTS:
9 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 leeks, chopped
1-tablespoon margarine
2-1/4 cups heavy whipping cream (I cheated and used 2 cups 2% milk instead)

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the potatoes and broth and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
In a separate skillet over medium heat, sauté the leeks in the butter or margarine for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the leeks and the cream to the potatoes and stir well. (Note: This is the point you take a potato masher and slightly thicken the soup.)
This was a really easy, fall supper. DH noted that he would have rather I left the potatoes whole and not mash them, leave it chunky…a note for me for next time. The other thing this was missing was something…and all DH and I could think of was maybe some crispy bacon and then cook the leeks in the leftover grease, real healthy but would have made this tastier. Also, using the 2% milk made this a little runny compared to what you would think of when you think of potato soup. I didn't take a photo and all you would see was a cream coloured soup in a cream coloured bowl, not very exciting to say the least!

I served this with the following:

Applesauce Cornbread
From: Allrecipes.com
Submitted by: rocketD
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 9 servings
"This is an easy, quick recipe for cornbread that's dense, and adjustably sweet. It will smell great as it bakes and comes out with a great golden crust. It can accompany anything. I love it served with salad, soup, or chilli. Add herbs for extra flavour."

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup skim milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan. In a bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, stir together milk, eggs, and applesauce. Fold the wet mixture into the dry; mix together well. Then pour the combined mixture into baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

This was a beautiful, dense, moist cornmeal cake/bread. I’ve made cornmeal cake before (Johnny Cake - haven't posted about that yet) and as much as we thought you would not taste the applesauce, there was a nice hint of it in there. I also made muffins – I will post about them separately! So, this was my WELCOME FALL meal and even though Cameron wouldn’t try the soup, he did enjoy three pieces of the cornmeal cake!