Baked Potato Soup

I love anything  potato! Baked potatoes, french fries, mashed potatoes etc. you name it! So when I came across this recipe from Our Best Bites I was really excited to try it! I thought, "Ohh this soup has potatoes? Uhh por favor!" So I tried it and it turned out to be quite delicious! Its rich in flavor and creamy. I think this recipe is a pretty good beginners recipe, its not too complicated and I bet you'll have everything that's needed in your kitchen already. It uses simple milk instead of cream, but nothing is lost. Try it out!

What you need:

• 3 Tbs butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 C flour
• 4 1/2 C milk
• 1 14oz can chicken broth
• 4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked
• 2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 C sour cream, divided
• 1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

Directions:

 

1. Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add flour to pan.
4. SLOWLY add milk little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps.
5. Whisk until smooth then add chicken broth.
   *if at this point you don't have a smooth liquid, pour soup in the blender until smooth, then return to stockpot.
   
6. Bring soup to simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes
   *When I got to this part and waited for the soup to thickened, I waited for a while because it never happened (I'm guessing something went wrong when I added the flour and the milk) I just added 1tbsp of cornstarch, whisked it and I let it heat up again. It wasn't thickening as much so I added a little bit more and then it was perfect. So if it happens to you just add some cornstarch a little at a time and wait to get it thickened enough.
   
7. Once the soup is thickened, turn the heat down to medium-low.
   
8. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out potato flesh with a spoon
   
9. Add potatoes in pot and with a wooden spoon smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps.
   
10. Add 1 1/2 C of grated cheese, salt and pepper, stir until cheese is melted
    
11. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4C sour cream, 1/4C green onions, and 4 strips of crumbled bacon.
    
12. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
    
13. Serve soup into bowls and serve with the remaining sour cream, green onions, cheese, and bacon
    

This recipe is delicious, pretty easy and not time consuming.
Enjoy!

Con amor, Claudia