Baked Potato Soup

Today was a very cold day in Illinois, at least it felt cold to me.  I started out by trying to stay warm in the house with a comfy, cozy sweatshirt, jeans and slippers.  Later I had to add socks and I was still cold.  Turning on the heat was not an option on September 13th so I decided soup was a must for dinner.  It is potato time in my home state of Idaho, so I decided to try this soup recipe. I also went a step further and made my very own bread bowls.  You see out in the middle of nowhere where I live, Geraldine's bread bowls are no longer an option.

Baked Potato Soup

3 Tbs. butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. flour
4 1/2 c. milk (low fat works great)
1 14 oz. can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked
2 c. grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 c. sour cream (low fat is fine), divided
1/2 c. chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.  Add flour to pan.  Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps.  Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth.  (If you get to this point and don't have a smooth liquid, save your soup by popping the mixture in the blender -- I had to do this step and it worked wonderfully).  Bring soup  to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low.  Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot.  Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up any large clumps.  Add 1 1/2 c. grated cheese and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted.  Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and top each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese and bacon.

(For the record, I didn't have any green onions so I didn't use any in this recipe.  Also, I was a little short on sour cream so I just used the 3/4 cup in the recipe and didn't add any additional sour cream when serving).

Bread Bowls

1 loaf Rhodes bread dough
1 egg white

Let dough thaw on a greased cookie sheet.  While the loaf is still in a cold state cut the loaf  into half, or thirds, depending on the size of bread bowl you desire.  Make a ball out of the dough, brush egg white over the entire ball and let rise until doubled on a greased cookie sheet (I make it easy on myself and just spray it with Pam to prevent sticking).  When the dough has risen to your satisfaction, bake the bread bowls at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool, cut off the top, scoop out the soft and scrumptious inside and eat some of it when no one is looking. 

This was a warm and delicious dinner.  I am sure those Idaho Russets would enhance the recipe all the more!  Fall is here, I am sewing and will have quilts to share soon!