Baked Potato Soup

Another recipe for potato soup! Just remember that I did not promise this to be a healthy or low-fat blog. That being said, here's a great soup recipe from my friend Anita.

Baked Potato Soup

4 lg. baking potatoes
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. chopped green onions
10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Bake potatoes at 350 for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely. Peel (optional) and cube potatoes and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook for a few minutes. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened (make sure to keep an eye on it and stir CONSTANTLY). Turn off heat. Whisk in sour cream. Add potatoes and green onions. Garnish with bacon and cheese.

I like to "bake" my bacon in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes or so. I learned this at a Pampered Chef party and have been doing it that way ever since. Oh, and make sure to ignore the part about 10 strips of bacon. You might as well cook the whole package. Who ever has left over bacon? I added garlic to my melted butter in the pan, and I didn't have any green onions, so I added some dried chives at the end. Not very flavorful, but added a little color.

This was definitely a good soup, and quite filling. I should have served it with a huge green salad. My husband liked it, but has texture issues, so he wasn't crazy about the crispy bacon on top. I thought he was crazy, because it was perfect. It tastes like a loaded baked potato in a bowl. Kids were only semi-interested. They were happy to munch on bacon and cheese.