Baked Potato Soup

Cookbook Recipe #7

Last weekend I was in the Milkwaukee area and I decided to stop in Greendale, which has the headquarters for Reiman Publications. I anxiously await my Taste of Home magazines every month. Ask my husband....it is like Christmas whenever one of my cooking magazines arrives. Inside the magazines they always advertise Greendale as being the Taste of Home headquarters. The test kitchen is there, were they test all the recipes that come into the headquarters before they decide which ones will make it into the magazine. They also advertise that they sell the "fallen off the truck" cookbooks for $5.00 a piece. The cookbooks just look a little worn down and the edges a little beaten up. A lot of them though you can barely notice the imperfections. So naturally I have by dying to go there to check it out. This cookbook is one of the cookbooks that I bought for $5.00. I am a big soup girl. I eat soup even when its really hot out (like this weekend). So I was excited when I saw this cookbook which is all about soups.

There are several recipes that I want to make in this book. But the recipe I choose to feature for this cookbook was the Baked Potato Soup. There was a restaurant that I went to with Phil's family called Al Capone's Hideaway and Steakhouse. I am bummed that I only had a chance to go there one time since the restaurant has since closed. But they had the best Baked Potato soup I have ever had. I have tried a couple times to try and make this soup from other recipes. It has been good but not as good as the Hideaway's.
This recipe has come the closest. It came out very creamy but not too thick. I think the key is baking the potatoes, hence "baked potato soup." Other times I have tried to make this I cooked the potatoes in the microwave. So I think baking them really does make a difference. This is not one to make when trying to watch the calories. It is definitely a good splurge recipe, but well worth it!

Baked Potato Soup
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Easy Dinners: Soups and Stews




2 large baking potatoes
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
4 slices cooked bacon






Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Prick potatoes with a fork and place on baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Let cool. 
Scoop out pulp from potatoes and set aside. 


In a large dutch oven melt butter. Add flour and stir until combined. Add milk, salt, pepper and dill. Cook until thick and bubbly stirring often because milk will scald on bottom of pan very quickly. 


Once milk is thickened add potatoes, cheese and bacon and mix well. Stir until cheese is melted. 


Garnish with your favorite potato toppings. 




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