This is one of my favorite recipes. I love to make soup in the colder months and, for me, this is real comfort food. Potatoes, sour cream, cheese... Yum! This is one that I will double or triple, then freeze for my family to eat on nights I work.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
4 large potatoes, baked
10 Tbsp. butter
2/3 c. flour
6 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 bag real bacon bits
1 c. sour cream
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir until it is smooth. Turn heat to medium and begin adding the milk very slowly, stirring as milk is added. I add a small amount of milk, stir it in, add a small amount of milk, stir, and repeat until all the milk is added. In a bowl, scoop out all the insides of the potatoes. Add some of the milk mixture from the pot and mash the potatoes. Add additional milk slowly, mashing potatoes until it makes a thick soup, then add it to the pot with the remaining milk mixture. This mixes the potatoes into the soup better and leave some chunks without huge chunks. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and bacon bits. Stir. Heat through and add sour cream, stirring to mix it in really well. Sprinkle additional cheese on top when serving.
To freeze: Cool the soup and divide into freezer bags. I prefer bags to rigid containers because you can stack them up in the freezer and save a lot of room. When you are ready to eat the soup - thaw it, heat, and serve.
