Hi Everyone! So, it went straight from summer to winter here in central Illinois in about a week’s time. Seriously, it got cold. I know that Autumn will return but at the time of this writing it is chilly-willy. I had the immediate urge to make soup. And, not just any soup, but one of our very favorite soups. This is absolutely Cody’s very favorite soup. He has always been a baked potato fan and this soup incorporates all of the flavors of a loaded baked potato in a warm and cozy bowl of happiness. If I ever want to get him to come home for a visit, all I have to do is mention that I am making this soup. He will be there, come heck or high water. And, I love having him at home so I am not above using this ploy to get some Cody-time. But Cody is not the only one who loves this soup. It is frequently requested at family gatherings and potlucks and holidays and Super Bowl parties. This recipe makes a large pot of soup so there is plenty to share with guests and then have some for leftovers. It reheats well and so is ideal for a quick lunch.
The ingredients for this soup are baking potatoes, butter, milk, flour, sour cream (full-fat) and salt and pepper to taste. You also want to have some bacon that has been cooked to crisp and crumbled and some shredded cheese (your choice of cheese but cheddar works well) to sprinkle atop the completed soup when served. That’s it. You could probably make this soup today with what you already have in your kitchen.
You will need several large baking potatoes. The number depends on the size of your potatoes. If you buy the jumbos then you can get by with fewer – say 8 rather than 12. When I get done wrapping my taters and have them on the baking sheet, they are side by side and cover the whole sheet. That is how I gauge if I have the correct amount. Now, I like to bake my taters in the oven in foil. You can use the microwave but I just think that oven-baked potatoes taste better and have a better texture. I bake mine in foil because that is the way that Mom did it and I just prefer the flavor. But, you do whatever makes you happy. So, scrub the potatoes clean and then pat dry. Tear off pieces of foil big enough to wrap your potatoes completely. Place one potato on each piece of foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and add a pat of butter. I usually cut my stick of butter so that each pat is ½ of a Tablespoon.
Wrap all of this up tightly and place on a rimmed baking sheet. When you get all of these guys wrapped up, place them in the oven and bake until tender. I normally bake mine for 45 minutes at 425 degrees. You can test this by piercing the potato with a fork to see if it slides in easily, all the way to the center. Once the potatoes are tender, remove them from the oven and open the foil so that they can cool for a bit. You want for them to be cool enough to handle. No one wants to play Hot Potato when they are making dinner. Set them aside to cool.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin by using a knife to peel it away from the cooked flesh. This is the part of the process that usually brings my family into the kitchen. We love to munch on the skins, especially that yummy part that comes from the bottom of the potato where the butter has caramelized a little and made the skin kind of chewy. Delish! And potato peels have a lot of nutrients, I hear, so this is a good thing, right? Anyway, divide the peeled potato into two large bowls. Use a potato masher or something similar to mash up one bowl. The other bowl should be cubed into bite-size pieces. Set these aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add in the flour. Stir this mixture constantly and cook for about 2 minutes until the roux has darkened in color.
Slowly add the milk and use a whisk to mix well so that virtually no lumps of roux remain. Cook this mixture for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add in the mashed potatoes and rapidly stir with a whisk to break up the potato and blend well. Add in the chunks of potato and stir. Stir frequently and watch that the soup does not scorch on the bottom. Cook this mixture until it is heated through and steamy. Add in the sour cream and stir well. Allow the soup to heat all the way through again but don’t let it come to a simmer or boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls. Top with crisply cooked and crumbled bacon and shredded cheese if desired. You could also add chives or bits of green onion. This soup turns out thick and creamy with hearty chunks of potato and a delicate sour cream flavor. It is a definite comfort food that your family will appreciate on a chilly day – or any day.
Best Ever Baked Potato Soup
This soup is thick and creamy with hearty chunks of potato and a delicate sour cream flavor.
Ingredients
- 8 - 12 large baking potatoes (depends on the size of the potatoes)
- 11 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2/3 cup flour
- 8 cups milk
- 16 oz. full-fat sour cream
- Crisply cooked and crumbled bacon for topping
- Shredded cheese for topping
Directions
- Step 1 Bake the potatoes by whatever method you prefer until done. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Step 2 When cool, remove the skins from the potatoes and discard.
- Step 3 Divide the potato flesh into 2 large bowls.
- Step 4 Mash one bowl and cube the other into bite-size pieces.
- Step 5 In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter.
- Step 6 Add the flour and stir. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the roux has darkened in color and thickened.
- Step 7 Add the milk and stir with a whisk until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
- Step 8 Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Step 9 Whisk in the mashed potatoes.
- Step 10 Add the cubed potatoes and stir until well blended.
- Step 11 Stir in the sour cream.
- Step 12 Heat until warmed through but do not let this come to a boil or simmer.
- Step 13 Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls.
- Step 14 Add crumbled crisp bacon and shredded cheese before serving.
