Baked Potato Soup

Not the prettiest photograph, but this potato soup was fantastic! The recipe makes at least a gallon of soup, though... so if you're just a party of two, be prepared to eat a lot of starch or just freeze it.

Baked Potato Soup

For the Soup:
5lb Russett Potatoes
1/2 c. flour, divided
5 Tbsp. butter
6 cups milk (we used a combo of whole milk and cream we had on hand)
salt and pepper to taste

For Garnish:
Sour cream
Bacon (the real kind... no Bac-O bits)
Chives
Cheddar Cheese

Wash, peel, and slice russetts into equal pieces. Place in a pot, cover with water and cook on med-high heat until potatoes are just done. Drain and set aside in collander.

In original pot, melt butter on medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in 1/4 cup of flour until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Pour in milk and final 1/4 cup flour, whisking occasionally. Heat for abot 6-8 minutes until slightly thickened.

While in collander, slightly mash potatoes with a potato masher or a spoon. Once broken into small chunks, combine potatoes and milk mixture in pot. For smoother consistency, you could use an emulsifier here to blend ingredients together. We like our soup a little chunkier, so I just used my masher to break the large pieces apart. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once heated through, remove from heat.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and chives on top.