It's basically what the title says it is, a baked potato, but served as a soup with a little help from chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream to thicken it up and some onions, garlic, and cheddar cheese for loads of flavor.
1/2poundbaconcooked and crumbled. reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat, if desired
4Tablespoonsunsalted butter
1/2yellow onionfinely chopped
2clovesgarlicfinely minced
2poundsYukon gold potatoespeeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
1teaspoonsalt
1/3cupall-purpose flour
2cupschicken broth
2cupswhole milk
8ouncesgrated cheddar cheesemedium or sharp, plus more for garnish
1cupheavy cream
1/2cupchivesfinely chopped
Instructions
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. You can add 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon grease, if desired, to add flavor.
Add onions and garlic to the melted butter and saute for 2-3 minutes, until onions soften.
Add the diced potatoes to the pot, and cook, stirring frequently, over medium low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are softened.
Sprinkle flour, pepper, and salt over the vegetables and cook 2-minutes more, stirring to cook the flour and distribute it evenly throughout the pot.
Slowly add the chicken broth and the milk to the pot, adding just a little at a time and stirring to combine the liquid with the flour, which will thicken the soup.
Simmer over medium low for 5-10 minutes more, until the potatoes are cooked through and are soft.
Use a potato masher to break apart the potato chunks - you can mash them quite a bit or just a little, depending on how chunky you want your soup.
Stir in the heavy cream and the cheddar cheese, cooking over low until the cheese is melted and the soup is thick.
Stir in ½ of the bacon pieces, reserving the rest for topping the soup.
Serve soup with reserved bacon, extra cheese, and chives.
Video
Notes
Bacon grease in the soup is optional, but it does add another dimension of flavor and is recommended.
Keep the vegetables cooking over medium-low heat. If the heat is too high, or if you do not stir, you’ll get some sticking to the bottom of the pot. If there is some browning on the bottom of the pot, don’t worry - it will incorporate into the soup once the liquids are added (the broth will deglaze the pan). Browned bits will add flavor to the soup, but the soup’s appearance will not be as light and creamy. Burned bits on the bottom of the pan will make the soup bitter. If you have burned bits in your pan, I recommend transferring the cooked vegetables to another container, washing the pot, and then proceeding to add the chicken broth, milk, etc.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Do not freeze this soup, the dairy products in the soup will not thaw well.
Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and omit the bacon for a vegetarian soup.
You can use reduced fat milk and/or omit the heavy cream for a lighter soup.
I highly recommend grating your own cheese from the block, it really does make a difference. Pre shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents which prevent the cheese from melting well and can cause the soup to be grainy in texture.