Recipe Review

Pat is healing up well post surgery, but he is still having a hard time chewing anything. So I decided to make some soup, and the most delicious sounding thing I could think of was loaded baked potato soup. Yum!

Loaded Potato Soup a la Betty Crocker, Pioneer Woman Style

Pat's rating: 4/5 Stars
Tee's rating: 4/5 stars. Total comfort food, full of deliciousness. Did take some time with all the peeling and chopping. May be able to come up with some shortcuts (i.e. use pre-baked potatoes, cream of mushroom canned soup perhaps. . .) This is a good soup, but not a super quick, throw together type of recipe.

Then I got inspired to take step by step pictures, like the Pioneer Woman. Unfortunately I thought of it too late to take a picture of the 'Cast of characters'. However, I will list the ingredients:

So ingredients:

1 package (12 oz) bacon                        

1 1/2  cups chopped onion                        

6  cups Progresso® chicken broth                        

2 lb baking potatoes, peeled, cubed                        

2/3 cup butter                        

3/4 cup all-purpose flour                        

4 cups milk                        

1 teaspoon salt                        

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper                        

1 cup diced cooked ham                        

1 container (8 oz) sour cream                        

2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (10 oz)                        

 3/4 cup sliced green onions    

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is crispy. Mmmmmm bacon bacon bacon. If only I could somehow attach the smell of this cooking deliciousness! Maybe one day . . . then, Drain and crumble bacon.

                    

2. Meanwhile, chop the onion. Once the bacon is complete, reserve a couple tablespoons bacon grease and cook the onions in the same skillet with the bacon grease until almost tender. Oh delicious bacon grease!!

3. In a Dutch oven, mix the broth, chopped potatoes and onion. Bring to boiling and then lower heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in the same skillet (gotta love using the same skillet yet again, I love it every single time) Melt the butter.

And add the flour slowly while whisking continuously . . .

5. And then gradually stir in 2 cups of milk and stir until smooth

6. Pour Milk Mixture into potato mixture. Add the remaining two cups of milk, salt and pepper. And then cook over medium heat until it is deliciously thickened and rather bubbly. Mmmmm.

 

7. Stir in the ham, half the bacon, sour cream (mmmmm), 2 cups of cheese, and the green onions (I did not add any green onions because I'm going to test out the freezing potential for this soup!). Yum! Look at that mound of deliciousness!

8. Stir until cheese has melted. Add bacon, cheese, green onions and sour cream to each serving to taste . . .

Unfortunately this final picture was taken after sunset and the lighting is not optimal! I will learn with practice :) It is very filling, as you could probably guess!