Start with a basic can of cream of potato soup and stir in creative combinations of your favorite foods for a complete dinner. Try making loaded baked potato soup by topping soup with bacon, onion, cheese, chives and sour cream. Turn potato soup into clam chowder by stirring in a can of undrained minced clams. Or create a quick corn and crab bisque by adding white crab meat, cream style corn and Cajun spice mix to potato soup. If you're a meat lover, toss in cooked sausage, bacon, ground beef or a combination.

Cream of potato soup really shines when used as the basis for casseroles. For easy scalloped potatoes, combine cream of potato soup and cream of mushroom soup along with sliced potatoes and half-and-half, then bake. Beef, potatoes and onion are another winning combination baked into a casserole pan. Or combine sausage or ham, hash browns, sour cream and cheese with soup for a child-pleasing casserole.

Cold-weather staples like chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie may sound like a hassle, but cream of potato soup makes them a snap. For chicken pot pie, stir potato soup together with cubed chicken, chopped vegetables and spices and cook until hot, then top with canned biscuits and bake until they're golden brown. Shepherd's pie combines browned ground turkey, beef or vegetarian crumbles with frozen corn or green beans and onion, topped with a layer of mashed potatoes.

Although cream of potato soup makes a great duo served with sandwiches, it can also jazz up open-faced sandwiches. Try creamed tuna and potato soup on toast. Spice up soup with cheese and serve over an open-faced hamburger. Add in a little canned gravy or canned mushrooms and pour over turkey or chicken. The creamy texture of the soup makes it a natural for pouring over traditional southern fried steak or fried chicken sandwiches.