As the days get shorter and the nights get colder it’s time for soup, crockpot meals and breakfast suppers in our family. It’s so quintessential fall for the house to be filled with all the cozy smells of simmer stews and soup, breads baking in the oven or bacon sizzling in a cast iron skillet. And as my husband says, any of these meals can be made even better with bacon.

If you don’t already know, my dad has a huge garden and he also lives just a few streets away from me. Which means any time I visit I’m sent home with a huge basket full of produce which changes with the seasons. The other night while over in his garden picking the last of the summer tomatoes I was handed a bunch of fresh leaks. Perfection! I headed into mom’s kitchen and asked if she’d kindly share her Leek Potato Soup recipe with us all. My dad was already in the basement getting me potatoes that were down there curing for winter. One more stop in his garden to get celery, carrots and parsley and I was ready to cook!

With the change of seasons, comes change of produce and therefore the hardy recipes start to show up on the stove. I pulled out my well loved dutch oven and got to cooking. While my mom’s Leek Potato Soup is wonderful on its own, I knew the addition of bacon would be a home run. But I wasn’t going to add just any bacon, oh no, it had to be Kayem Bacon. Because when you are making a family recipe, I’m pretty sure it’s essential to use ingredients from local, family owned brands.

Kayem’s bacon is handcrafted and smoked in small batches. For this recipe I used the Thick Cut Maplewood Bacon made with Vermont Maple Syrup. You could absolutely use their standard cut in Double Smoked or Maplewood, but there is just something about extra thick, butcher cut bacon. With a New England heritage of over 100, Kayem really has managed to take bacon to the next level.

Just look at this mouthwatering sizzle!

Our family highly suggests adding Kayem bacon to your next batch of soup or stew. But whatever you add it too, make sure you cook up a couple extra slices as you’ll most likely be nibbling on it while preparing the rest of dinner. Pick up a variety of Kayem’s new bacon at select New England retailers.

Leek Potato Soup with Bacon

Ingredients

3 medium leeks washed and cut into 1” slices
2 TBSP butter
1 medium carrot finely chopped
½ cup celery finely chopped
3 medium potatoes peeled and diced
1 TBSP flour
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup half and half
1 TBSP chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
4 strips cooked & chopped Kayem Thick Cut Maplewood Bacon

Instructions

In a medium dutch oven, sautee the leeks in butter for 2-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 3-5 more minutes. Add potatoes and flour and cook for 3 minutes. Add the 4 cups of stock and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Cover your pot (make sure to tip the lid so it doesn’t simmer oveand simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes (make sure potatoes are nice and soft), add the half and half, parsley and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Top with Kayem bacon right before serving.

This post is sponsored by Kayem Bacon