Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Soup

So much for my big goal of posting daily!

Since my last post, there have been snowstorms plaguing 96% of the nation. While Florida was spared the icy invasion, it did get down to the 30s at night and barely skimmed the 50s during the day. That's cold to a Floridian!

So, as a sign of solidarity with my snowed in countrymen, and because I love me a bowl of hot goodness, I decided to make my Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

WHAT YOU NEED:

5 lb bag red potatoes.

Olive Oil

2 tbs butter

half an onion (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 and 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour

10 cups of milk

2 cups of cheese (more if you want super cheesy soup)

Bacon, cooked and crumbled (I'll let you be the judge of how much is enough bacon--if there is such a thing-- but I would go for AT LEAST half a pound.)

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

1 cup of chopped leeks (green onions if you prefer, but the leeks are hardier and hold up better)

16 oz sour cream (more if you want sour creamy soup)




First you should know that this recipe makes a heaping vat of soup. So, don't be afraid to adjust the recipe down if this seems excessive.

I start with a 5 lb bag of nice red potatoes. You can use big brown baking potatoes if you want, but I prefer to use the little reds because they're great for skin-on recipes. Wash 'em down, steb 'em good and grease 'em up with some olive oil (I use a garlic infused EVOO). Pop 'em in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, you should chop up half an onion, mince 2 cloves of garlic, and chop up your leeks. Make sure you wash your leeks really well. Then, go relax until the potatoes are done baking.

When the potatoes are done, cut them into quarters and mash them up, being careful to leave them very coarse so that the soup can have some toothiness (is that a word?). Set the potatoes aside for now.

In a large soup pot, melt 2 tbs of butter. Sautée half of a chopped onion and 2 minced cloves of garlic over medium heat until they are soft.

Add 1 and 1/3 cups of all purpose flower in to the sautéed garlic and onions and stir it all briskly together.

Next, slowly add 10 cups of milk to the pot two cups at a time, whisking vigorously between additions. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly, but be careful not to scorch the milk.

Next, add in your potatoes and at least 2 cups of cheese (this ain't health food, people). Stir it all up until the cheese melts and is incorporated nicely. Now is also a good time to add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the pot from the heat, and add in your chopped leeks, crumbled bacon and 16oz of sour cream into the pot. To quote Bob Marley, Stir It Up.

And that's it! A huge vat of soup to keep the whole family warm and satisfied. If you're feeling fancy, garnish with some cheese, bacon and green onion. Enjoy!