Tonight I got a chance to go out to dinner with my husband–just the two of us!
We chose a well-known restaurant and I ordered “cream of baked potato soup” along with half a sandwich. The order was made in a timely manner and I sat down to enjoy one of my favorite soups with my man.
Well, the hubby part was great–the soup was not. It must have had rehydrated potato cubes and the “cream” base was watery. Definitely not great. And all the while I’m trying to eat a not-very-good soup, I’m thinking of the wonderful baked potato soup recipe I have at home.
This recipe is always great, it isn’t hard to make, and it’s never watery! It’s a crowd pleaser and makes a generous amount. I think it also tastes great the next day, although you may want to add a little bit of milk to it when heating it up. Because of the potatoes, it tends to thicken over time.
The “hardest” part of the recipe is remembering to baked the potatoes beforehand. While I’ve managed to microwave the baking potatoes and then incorporate them into the soup, things are much calmer and the potatoes are easier to handle if I do them the day before or even several days before and put them into the refrigerator.
So, here’s The Best Baked Potato Soup Ever–a recipe I make on numerous occasion. It’s found in a church cookbook from a church I used to attend and was submitted by the preacher’s wife. I’ve tweaked it a little over the years to fit my family’s tastes, but here is the original. Enjoy!
The Best Baked Potato Soup Ever
4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cups butter
2/3 cups flour
6 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 green onions (optional)
12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (or use real bacon bits)
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 oz. sour cream
- Bake, peel and mash potatoes.
- Melt butter; then mix in flour, stirring until smooth.
- Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually add 6 cups milk and cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened and bubbly.
- Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons green onions, 1/2 cup bacon and 1 cup cheese.
- Cook until thoroughly heated.
- Stir in sour cream.
- Add extra milk for desired consistency, if necessary.
- Serve topped with bacon, cheese and remaining green onions.
Variation: Sometimes I like to add some protein to this meal so I put in some cooked chicken or turkey.
Author’s note: Be sure to use a large pot (6 quart or larger) because this recipe yields a lot!
