Baked Potato Soup

It's getting colder in Indiana, putting me in the mood for soup! I made this soup last night and it was so yummy! Of course, I can never follow a recipe exactly so I wrote my modifications next to whatever the recipe actually calls for. Enjoy!



Baked Potato Soup
Modified From Cooking Light magazine

1 tbsp. butter
1/8 of a large onion, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced
3 baking potatoes (about 2-1/2 lbs.)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 oz.)
3 cups milk (I wanted to use up some whipping cream in my fridge, so I used 1-1/3 cup milk, 2/3 cup whipping cream, and probably about 2 cups chicken stock)
1/2 cup (4 oz.) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I love cheese, so I used 1 cup, maybe more)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions, divided
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash and season with salt and pepper. (If you don't have time to bake your potatoes, just toss them in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. Mashing the potatoes adds great texture. But I also love biting into chunks so I mashed half the potatoes and cut the rest into chunks.)

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into the vegetable sauté; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes).

Add mashed potatoes, two-thirds of the cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese, green onions, and about 1 tbsp. bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.