Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I was looking for a recipe to use potatoes in since I have close to 50 lbs right now. I have always loved potato soup so I knew soup was a great option. I stumbled across this recipe in Cook's Country magazine and thought why not give it a try. Yes this is a little more complicated then your basic potato soup but as always with CC it turned out great. The recipe actually calls for you to puree the majority of the soup but I prefer a chunky potato soup so I only pureed about 1/2 of the soup. Adjust it to your liking. The fried potato skins, make them if you want but honestly no one but me noticed they were in the soup.


Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Cook's Country Dec./Jan 2006 issue

8 ounces bacon, chopped
3 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus additional for garnish
1 cup sour cream, plus additional for garnish
ground black pepper
3 scallions, sliced thin
Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. While bacon is cooking, use vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of potato peel; reserve peels. Cut peeled potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Add reserved potato skins to bacon fat in pot and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato skins to plate with bacon.

Add onion to fat remaining in pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth and cream, stir in thyme and potatoes, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.

Discard thyme. Puree about one half of the soup, more if you want it less chunky and less if you want it more chunky. Return to pot and warm over medium-high heat. Off heat, stir in cheese until melted, then whisk in sour cream. Return reserved potatoes to pot and season soup with pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnishing with bacon, fried potato skins, scallions, cheese, and sour cream.

To reheat leftover portions, gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the soup boil, which will cause the sour cream to separate.