Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 7 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ lbs gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• For topping shredded cheddar cheese, chives and additional sour cream and bacon

Directions:

1. Place bacon pieces in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned. Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
2. Add butter, chopped onion and celery and cook over medium heat until onions and celery are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth.
4. Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring to a slow boil and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Remove half soup and place into a blender. Puree until smooth.
6. Return the pureed soup to the pot and add sour cream, cheese and 3/4 reserved bacon pieces; stir well. Allow soup to simmer for 15 minutes before serving.
7. Top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese and chives.