I love baked potatoes. So much so that when I'm home alone I often make myself a fully loaded baked potato (or 2!) and call it dinner! But then there's the issue of all the leftover baked potatoes. Because, well, I never can say no to those cheap 10 pound bags of potatoes and I also never can bake just one or two at a time!
Usually I fry up the leftovers (which I also love!), but doing the same thing all the time just gets old. So, I decided to combine my love of soup with my love of baked potatoes and this is what what born!
A creamy, rich, but not too heavy baked potato soup with all the fixings! What a perfect end of winter comfort food! You could also easily lighten this soup up by using low-fat milk, reduced fat sour cream and a little less bacon. But you won't find me doing that! :o)
(and yes, you have seen this recipe before,
but I updated it a tad and wanted to share it again!)
Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
8-10 small-medium baked potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup real bacon bits (from about 1 pound well-done bacon)
Directions:
Peel and coarsely mash the potatoes. (I like to leave a little bit of peel for looks and texture!)
Pour the milk into a large Dutch oven. Sprinkle the flour over the milk, whisking it in as you add it, so that there are no lumps. Heat the flour/milk mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until thick and bubbly.
Turn the heat to low and add the mashed potatoes, spices, salt & pepper, cheese, sour cream and bacon bits. Cook until the cheese is melted and the soup is thoroughly heated, being careful not to boil!
Serve topped with more shredded cheese and chopped green onions and bacon bits... whatever you put on top of your baked potatoes!
