Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 30

Servings:

Author: Constance Smith - Cosmopolitan Cornbread

Ingredients

4-5 lbs russet potatoes
8 slices turkey bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 Tb butter divided
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 Tb flour
2 c chicken broth
2 c milk
1 c half & half
2 c grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese divided
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ teaspoon parsley
sour cream for topping optional

Instructions

To begin, bake your potatoes. Simply wash and dry them, poke several times with a fork, and then rub the skins with a little olive oil.
Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 375° for about an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.
Take them out an allow them to cool. (This can be done ahead of time or even the day before. Just store the cooked potatoes in the fridge until you are ready for them.) Your potatoes need to cool enough so that you can handle them.
In a skillet, cook the turkey bacon pieces with 2 tablespoons of butter, until crispy.
Scoop the turkey bacon pieces out with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside for now.
Place the remaining 2 Tb of butter in your Dutch oven. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté them in the Dutch oven until tender and have a little color.
Meanwhile, scoop the insides of half your potatoes into a bowl. The other half of the potatoes, you'll peel so you can cut the "meat" into chunks.
When the onions are tender, add in the butter and let it melt, then stir in the flour. Cook for just a minute and let the flour get bubbly.
Pour in the chicken broth, milk, and half & half. Cook this over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat a little.
Add in the scooped potatoes and, with a potato masher, mash the potatoes into the soup as best you can.
Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese and let it melt into the soup.
Stir in the potato chunks and let it cook until the potatoes are heated through.
Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley.
Serve topped with extra cheese, turkey bacon pieces, and optional sour cream.
Enjoy!

Notes

* The potatoes can be baked ahead of time making prep time for a weeknight ideal.

* If half & half isn't handy, you can simply increase the milk to 3 cups.

See This Recipe:

https://cosmopolitancornbread.com/loaded-baked-potato-soup/

Nutrition