Fall is finally here--my very favorite time of year, so I thought I would share 2 of my favorite fall time recipes--Baked Potato Soup and Crusty Cornmeal Rolls. They go great together--just add a salad and you have the perfect fall time dinner. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

Bake 6-7 medium potatoes. Baked potatoes really give this soup it's wonderful flavor. Let the potatoes cool a bit and then peel them--you can leave on the peel too if you prefer--and dice them.

Make a roux of 3 Tblsp butter and 3 Tblsp flour. Gradually stir in 7 cups of milk. Add the potatoes, and about 1/2 cup chopped green onion, several slices of cooked bacon, crumbled and about 8 oz of shredded cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Simmer till all is warmed through and the soup will thicken a bit. Add in a small container of sour cream, let warm through a bit. The soup should be nice and thick. Serve and garnish with more green onions, crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese and enjoy!


Crusty Cornmeal Rolls


These rolls take about 4 hours to make start to finish, but they are so worth the effort. They are very light and fluffy and one of our very favorites.

1/3 c cornmeal 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c sugar 1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp salt 1/4 c lukewarm water
1/2 c shortening, melted 4 c flour
2 c whole milk 3 Tblsp butter, melted

In a heavy saucepan or double boiler, combine cornmeal, sugar, salt, shortening and milk. Cook over a low heat stirring often, cook until mixture is thick. Let cool, then add in the eggs. Dissolve the yeast in the water and add to the batter. Beat well, then allow to rise in a greased bowl for about 2 hours. Do not try cutting the time short. After the batter has risen, add the flour to from a soft dough. Knead the dough lightly and allow to rise again for another hour. Knead again. Roll the dough out with a floured rolling pin--not to thin about a 1/2 inch or so thick. Cut into rounds, brush with some melted butter and fold into desired shape. Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise for another hour. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or til just lightlty golden. Enjoy hot with lots of butter! Makes approx 36 rolls.
NOTE--Do NOT double this recipe as it will not rise properly.