POTATO SOUP WITH SHRIMP

POTATO SOUP WITH SHRIMP
If shrimp is not your thing, leave them out. The soup is terrific as potato soup.
From Paula Deen’s cookbook

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced (about same size as the onion)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
8 medium russet, peeled and cubed
4 cups milk, whole. Reduced fat (2%) or low fat (1%)
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in a half a cup of hot milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 lb medium shrimp
Crumbled bacon bits, for garnish
Grated sharp Cheddar cheese, for garnish

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion and carrots until both are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk, and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and some of them have begun to dissolve into mush. Add the half-and-half, salt and pepper. Let cool, the refrigerate until party time.
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of slightly salted water to boil. Add the shrimp all at once and stir well. Watch the shrimp closely; as soon as they all turn pink, turn off the heat and drain. The shrimp should be slightly undercooked. When they are cool, peel them, chop roughly into big chunks and place them in a plastic bag until party time.
Reheat the soup over very low heat (it will stick to the bottom of the pot if you heat it to quickly) about 45 minutes before the party. When the soup is hot, add the shrimp and stir well. Sprinkle the soup with bacon bits and grated Cheddar cheese.