The best description I can offer of my sister’s baked potato soup is that it tastes just like the best potato bar you ever tried. I always used to love twice-baked potatoes, mainly because the work of “fixing” a baked potato with the sour cream, cheese, and so on, was all done for you. It’s the same with this soup. It’s like someone fixed the ultimate baked potato just for you and put it into a bowl. All you have to do is enjoy it.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 10
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Wash the potatoes and prick them several times with a fork. Wrap them individually in foil, and bake them for 1 hour, or until they are soft when squeezed (see Note). Let the potatoes cool slightly.
Step 3
While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon in a small skillet, in a microwave, or on an indoor grill until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and, when cool enough to handle, crumble it into small pieces. Set aside.
Step 4
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and bubbling. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop the flesh into the thickened milk mixture. Add the salt, pepper, green onions, reserved bacon, and Cheddar. Cook over low heat just until heated through. Stir in the sour cream and serve.
From Beth
Step 5
For a pretty presentation, top individual bowls of soup with a sprinkling of shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped green onions.
Note
Step 6
Wrapping the potatoes in foil before baking makes them cook faster. To shorten the preparation time even more, peel the potatoes, cut them into 1-inch cubes, and cook them in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes. Leftover baked potatoes may also be used for this recipe. Peel and mash them coarsely before adding to the milk mixture.
