Soups

• You can create more than just plain soup with a can of cream of potato soup. Throw some parboiled new potatoes and russet potatoes into the pot to create a potato lover’s soup. Add sausage and ground beef for a heartier version. Mix in chives, onions, sour cream and crumbled bacon for a “baked potato” soup. Stir chicken, shrimp and sausage with the soup for a creamy gumbo.

Casseroles

• Turn potato soup and leftovers into a full dinner spread by creating a casserole. Combine parboiled potatoes and cheddar with the soup for a cheddar-potato casserole. Stir green beans, peas, carrots, broccoli and onion with the soup for a creamy veggie lover’s casserole. Toss corn, ground beef, tomatoes and the soup together for a western beef version.

Pies

• Shepherd’s pie and pot pie are both made easier with cream of potato soup. Shepherd’s pie consists of the soup, assorted meat and assorted vegetables covered with mashed potatoes and baked. Pot pie consists of the soup, assorted vegetables and assorted meat covered with pie crust or biscuit dough and baked. Mix cream of potato soup, chopped bell peppers, chopped onions and ground beef and cover with garlic mashed potatoes for a Southwest shepherd’s pie. Combine the soup, cooked chicken, cheddar and broccoli and cover with biscuit dough for a creamy potato-chicken pot pie.

Sandwiches

• Cream of potato soup doesn’t have to be mixed into other ingredients to help create dinner - it can be used as a topping sauce on sandwiches, as well. Spoon the warmed soup over hamburgers to create creamy potato hamburgers. Serve the warm soup over ground burger on bread for a creamy sloppy Joe. Place chicken fried steak on a piece of thick toast and cover with the warm soup for an open-faced chicken sandwich. Smear the creamy part of the soup on bread and then stack the bread with turkey and cranberry sauce for a filling “Thanksgiving” style sandwich.