Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded baked potato soup:


I made this on Sunday to eat during the week. It made a lot of soup but this was so delicious we ate almost all of it between dinner and lunches the next day. It was a little time-consuming (mainly because the potatoes took forever to cook) but the results were so good it was worth it. I shredded some extra cheese, cooked some bacon and chopped some scallions for garnish:


I don't think you can eat soup without something to dunk in it, so we had some sliced ciabatta bread:


Crispy yet soft, this is one of my favorite breads. I don't make soup often (I think this is only the second or third time I've made soup. I'm just not a hot beverage/soup person), but I was really impressed with this recipe. I had a big bowlful for lunch yesterday when I was home sick and it really hit the spot.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Culinary Infatuation

5 medium yukon gold potatoes
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves of garlic minced
6 cups 2 % or whole milk
2 cups half and half
3 Tbs. fresh basil or chives
1 tsp. fresh nutmeg grated
8 strips bacon chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Wash potatoes and poke holes all over with a fork. Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until cooked completely through. Let cool.When potatoes are cooled, dice and put to the side(I leave the skin on).

Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add the flour and whisk until combined and smooth (about a minute).

Pour in milk, 2 cups at a time combining the roux until fully incorporated. Whisk in the half and half and nutmeg. Turn heat up to medium high and bring to a simmer. Let simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While you are bringing the soup up to a simmer add bacon to a medium size skillet and cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).

Remove from heat or turn to low heat and add potatoes and basil. Use a masher and mash potatoes until soup becomes thick. (You can do this before hand in a processor, or mash in a separate bowl.)

When soup is the desired consistency; whisk in sour cream and cheese. Remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and add to soup and serve.