Directions:

Stovetop Directions
1. In a saucepan, cook bacon or sausage; drain fat.
2. Add 3 C. water and potatoes to meat, bring to a boil while stirring, cover and reduce to simmer.
3. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
4. When potatoes are done, add your milk choice. Heat until warm, do not boil.
5. Top with grated cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Crockpot Directions:
Add 3 C. water, the entire soup mix and meat to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 to 6 hours. Add milk right before serving. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Directions:
Reduce water by 1/2 cup. Add water and soup mix to Instant Pot. Lock the lid and seal the valve, set to Soup Mode or High Pressure. Cook for 10 minutes, manually let the steam off. Add milk right before serving. Enjoy!

Cashew Milk Substitute:
Using a blender, add 1-1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup raw cashews. Blend until creamy. Add 8 oz. as a milk substitute, approx. 3/4 Cups.

Cooking Variations:

Sour Cream: Add 1/4 C sour cream
Switch up the meat: Substitute bacon with ham or sausage.
Cheesy: Top with cheddar and chives
Add some wine: Add 1/4 C white wine
Veggie Overload: Add any of your favorite vegetables such as carrots, summer squash, leeks, etc.

Vegetarian: Prepare without bacon. If desired, add meat substitute.
Add any of your favorite vegetables such as carrots, summer squash, etc.

You will need:

2 Cups Half and Half, Evaporated Milk or Milk Substitute
1/4 Pound Bacon or Sausage (optional)

Package Includes:

Potato and spice mixture

Directions:

Stovetop Directions
1. In a saucepan, cook bacon or sausage; drain fat.
2. Add 6 C. water and potatoes to meat, bring to a boil while stirring, cover and reduce to simmer.
3. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
4. When potatoes are done, add your milk choice. Heat until warm, do not boil.
5. Top with grated cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Crockpot Directions:
Add 6 C. water, the entire soup mix and meat to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 to 6 hours. Add milk right before serving. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Directions:
Reduce water by 1 cup. Add water and soup mix to Instant Pot. Lock the lid and seal the valve, set to Soup Mode or High Pressure. Cook for 10 minutes, manually let the steam off. Add milk right before serving. Enjoy!

Cashew Milk Substitute:
Using a blender, add 1-1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup raw cashews. Blend until creamy. Add 2 Cups as a milk substitute.

Cooking Variations:

Sour Cream: Add 1/2 C sour cream
Switch up the meat: Substitute bacon with ham or sausage.
Cheesy: Top with cheddar and chives
Add some wine: Add 1/2 C white wine
Veggie Overload: Add any of your favorite vegetables such as carrots, summer squash, leeks, etc.

Vegetarian: Prepare without bacon. If desired, add meat substitute.
Add any of your favorite vegetables such as carrots, summer squash, etc.

The Columbia Basin has been home to Native Americans for thousands of years. The oldest known location of human inhabitants in Northwest America is found in this area and dates between 9000 and 11000 years old.

Although Native Americans have lived in the basin area for thousands of years, European settlers only began to explore the region in 1835. European settlement didn’t start until 50 years later in 1883 with the development of the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railroads.

The Basin area is known for its desert-like land. In the early 1900s, people wanted to take advantage of the wide-open spaces and fertile volcanic soil. In 1918 two different plans to irrigate the Basin were proposed, one was to carry water by canals and aqueducts to the area, and the other was to build a dam at Grand Coulee on the Columbia River, the later, of course, was chosen. Building on Grand Coulee Dam stared until 1932 at the height on the Great Depression.

Today Grand Coulee Dam provides electricity to much of the Northwest. The Dam also provides irrigation water to 500,000 acres.

Once the Basin had its irrigation water, the uniqueness of the area for growing potatoes became apparent. The climate, fertile volcanic soil, long growing season and abundance of water make the Basin produce the highest yield per acre of potatoes in the world. More than 160,000 acres of potatoes are planted annually, harvesting an average of 30 tons per acre, which is almost double the yields in the rest of the world.