"Loaded Baked Potato Soup

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 about 3 1/4 pounds Russet or baking potatoes (about 4 medium/large potatoes)
• 1/4 cup (half of 1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely pressed
• 6 cups 2% or whole milk
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided (don't use pre-grated cheese in ziptop bags because that cheese is resistant to melting and won't incorporate well)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
• 10 about 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used pre-cooked bacon that cooks in microwave in about 1 minute to save time; yields about 1 cup crumbled bacon)
• 6 to 8 about 6 to 8 green onions, trimmed and sliced into small segments (yields about 3/4 cup)

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 10mins
Adapted from averiecooks.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400F. Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake for about 1 hour directly on oven rack, or until fork tender. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them, transfer to a large bowl, and mash the flesh. I mash coarsely so there are big potato chunks but mash as small as desired; set aside.

To a a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour is thickened. You're making a roux and it's very important the mixture is thick or soup will never thicken properly later.

Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir constantly so it doesn't burn.

Add the milk, 6 ounces cheese, salt, pepper, and stir until the cheese has melted.

Add the potatoes, sour cream, 3/4 cup bacon, 1/2 cup green onions, and stir to combine. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes, or until soup is heated through; don't allow it to boil. Taste and check for seasoning balance, adding more salt or pepper if desired, to taste.

Ladle into bowls and evenly top with the remaining 2 ounces cheese, 1/4 cup bacon, 1/4 cup green onions, and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat very gently on the stove or micro so soup doesn't separate. I haven't tried freezing it and cannot speak to the results.