Baked Potato Soup

Cookbook Recipe #60

This is a really good Southern Living Cookbook because it has a lot of pictures which I really like when I am looking through cookbooks. The Southern Living Annual Recipe books do not have very many pictures in them. Although those are some of my favorite books. A lot of times though when I see a picture of a recipe I want to make it more then when there is not a picture. I am assuming this is most people though!

I was having a craving for a baked potato soup. I knew I needed to find a cookbook recipe for the week so I was pouring through all my cookbooks to find a baked potato soup recipe. Since I have used most of my soup cookbooks already it took me a bit to find one, but I found one in this cookbook. I love this soup because it is so quick to make, well depending on how you do the potatoes. The potatoes are supposed to be baked, I didn't want to wait over an hour to bake potatoes so I just cooked them in the microwave. So should I call the recipe Microwave Potato Soup?

I cut this recipe in half because it seemed like it was going to make way to much. Another change I made was I swapped out buttermilk for milk. I had some buttermilk in the fridge that was going to go bad soon so I thought it would be a good addition. I also added sour cream. Gotta have sour cream with baked potato soup. This is one of my favorite soups now. I know I have made one before on here, but I didn't like the picture that came out with it. This one looks much more appetizing!

Baked Potato Soup
Adapted from Southern Living Cookbook

4 medium russet potatoes, baked or microwaved
2 tablespoons butter
1/6 cup flour
2 cups fat free half and half
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled


Peel potatoes and mash with a fork. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth.

Stir in potatoes, half and half, buttermilk, sour cream, salt, pepper, and most of the bacon.

Cook over low heat until thick and smooth.

Top each serving with cheese and bacon.