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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This baked potato soup is loaded with bacon, onion, potatoes, cheese and green onions.

Ingredients

  • 5 Russet baking potatoes, scrubbed, pricked with a fork, and baked at 400 for 1 hour
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 1 medium onion, chopped about 1 cup
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk or half and half or cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese divided
  • 1 cup green onions, sliced divided
  • hot sauce optional
  • extra chopped onion optional
  • sour cream optional

Instructions

  • If you plan ahead, you can bake the potatoes the night before. Don't peel them. Just chop them up.
  • Cook the bacon in your soup pot and remove it when it's crisp to drain on paper towels. Crumble up and serve later with the soup. Leave the bacon grease in the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and cook one minute, stirring. Stir in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then lower to simmering and let it cook and thicken a few minutes.
  • Add the potatoes, milk, parsley, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, uncovered. Don't boil; just let it simmer gently. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the green onions.
  • Serve the rest of the cheese and green onions, bacon, and whatever other toppings you'd like at the table.