Bacon and Baked Potato Soup

By marmar

Ingredients

• 2 6 to 8 oz. baking potatoes, russet or yukon gold
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 cups half-and-half, light cream or milk
• 1 1/4 cups shredded american cheese (about 5 oz.)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled
• 2 tbsp. thinly sliced green onion
• 1/4 cup dairy sour cream

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

Scrub your choice of potatoes with a vegetable brush. Rinse and pat dry. Prick the skin of the potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tender; cool. Peel potatoes, if you like. Chop the potatoes and set aside.

In a heavy large saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir the vegetables about 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Add half-and-half all at once. Cook and stir for 5 or 6 minutes, or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add the chopped potatoes, 1 cup of the cheese and the broth; stir the soup mixture until the cheese melts. Slightly mash the potatoes with the back of a spoon or use a potato masher.

For the topping, reserve 2 tbsp. of the bacon pieces. Stir the remaining bacon and 1 tbsp. of the green onion into soup. Heat through.

To serve, top each serving with reserved bacon, remaining 1/4 cup of cheese, green onions and sour cream.