Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This has everything a baked potato has but its a great soup.  I first had this in Fonthill, Ontario at My Place.  A friend ordered it and I ended up finishing it off.  It was wonderful!  This is the recipe I use at home.  It does not last long.

Now if you find the soup gets to thick because of the starch in the potatos, just add more cream or milk when warm.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 t. dried thyme
• 2 c. shredded sharp cheese, plus additional for garnish
• 1 c. sour cream, plus additional for garnish t
• pepper & salt to taste
• 3 scallions, sliced thin

How to make it

• Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. While bacon is cooking, use vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of potato peel; reserve peels, Cut peeled potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Add reserved potato skins to bacon fat in pot and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato skins to plate with bacon.
• Add onion to fat remaining in pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth and cream, stir in thyme and potatoes (minus 2 cups), and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.
• Take the 2 cups of remaining potatos and cut them into bites size pieces.  Boil them in salted water.  When tender remove from heat and water and let cool.
• Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth. Return to pot and warm over medium-high heat. Off heat, stir in cheese until melted, then whisk in sour cream, Return reserved potatoes to pot and season soup with pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with bacon, fried potato skins, scallions, and sour cream.
• REHEATING LEFTOVERS: To reheat leftover portions of the Loaded Baked Potato Soup, gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the soup boil, which will cause the sour cream to separate.