Loaded Baked Potato Soup

My apologies for not posting anything in so long. I had the end of semester craziness to deal with and then I spent most of my winter break recovering. That being said, this recipe is definitely worth the wait.

The weather in Atlanta this week has been terrible. Cold and rainy. So when my boyfriend requested soup for dinner last night, I was happy to oblige.

This soup is so tasty with surprisingly few ingredients.

Fun fact: this is my first post with my brand new camera! I treated myself to a Canon Rebel 3t for Christmas this year and I am very happy that I did.

You will need: 3 lbs of russet potatoes, 2 quarts of chicken stock, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbsp butter, 6 slices of bacon, 1 cup of half and half (not pictured), a few green onions, sour cream, 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.

First, slice the bacon into 1/2" wide strips or lardons.

Throw them in a large pot over medium heat and cook until crisp.

While the bacon is cooking, dice up the onion...

And mince the garlic.

Give your potatoes a good scrub and lay them out on a clean kitchen towel. Pat them dry.

When the bacon is crisp, remove it to a paper towel lined plate and set it aside.

Remove all but 1 Tbsp or so of the bacon grease from the pan.

Turn the heat down a bit and add in the 1 Tbsp of butter.

Toss in the onion and garlic and stir it around.

While the onions and garlic are cooking, dice up the potatoes. The skin is my favorite part of a baked potato so I leave it on.

When the onions are translucent, throw in the potatoes...

And add some salt and pepper. Give everything a stir and let the potatoes brown a bit.

This is what you're looking for. That brown stuff is flavor.

Once the potatoes have browned, pour in the 2 quarts of chicken stock.

Bring everything to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the soup is simmering, Grate up some cheddar cheese...

And slice a few scallions.

When the potatoes are tender, pour in one cup of half and half. Stir it in.

To thicken the soup, I like to give it a few short whirls with the immersion blender. This keeps most of the potatoes in tact so the soup is still chunky, but also thickens the soup.

It's ready to eat!

Fill a bowl with the soup, then get ready for the toppings. Don't skip the toppings. They're what makes it loaded baked potato soup.

First, toss on some cheese...

Followed by a dollop of sour cream...

Some crispy bacon... (if you didn't eat all of it while you were waiting for the soup to be ready.)

And finally some scallions.

Enjoy this delicious soup.

It really warms you up on a cold winter day.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs of russet potatoes, washed and diced
• 2 quarts of chicken stock
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 6 slices of bacon, sliced into 1/2" strips
• 1 cup of half and half
• 3 green onions, sliced
• sour cream
• 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon grease from the pan.
2. Add the butter, onion, and garlic to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add in the potatoes. Cook the potatoes until they become brown on the edges.
3. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and allow it to cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Add in the half and half and give the soup a few blends with an immersion blender (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can ladle a few cups of the soup into a blender, blend and pour back into the soup).
4. Ladle the soup into large bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, scallions, and bacon.