Another Recipe - The Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I sang the praises of Disneyland's Carnation Cafe Loaded Baked Potato Soup almost literally in an earlier post titled In Praise of a Bowl of Soup.  Tried the recipe and the family loved every last mouth watering calorie and there are plenty of them.  While I was posting the pumpkin muffin recipe in my previous blog entry, I thought it best to capture the soup recipe as well so I can keep these handy on this blog rather than having to go search for them.  So here is the Baked Potato Soup recipe.

Note: 32 oz. of half and half may work out better than the heavy cream and save a calorie or two. The heavy cream version is very rich.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Yield: six 8-oz portions

Ingredients:
4 large Russet Potatoes (peeled and small diced)
4 medium Red Potatoes (small diced)
6 oz (2 large stalks) Celery (small diced)
6 oz (1 large or 2 small) Carrots (peeled and small diced)
I medium yellow Onion (small diced)
2 oz unsalted Butter
1 lb. bacon (rough chopped) (*tip: place slices of bacon in the freezer to make it easier to cut. Will slip less)
16 oz Chicken stock or vegetable stock
32 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
2 oz Flour
1 oz vegetable oil
Salt/pepper to taste
*Small dice is ¼ In. x ¼ In.

Garnish with these items if desired:
Chives (chopped)
Bacon Bits
Sour Cream
Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

PROCEDURE:
1. Place stock pot, (6-8 quart pot) over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, butter and bacon. Start rendering the bacon (process of releasing the fat through cooking). The bacon will start to release its fat. Do not allow it to burn.

2. Cook bacon until crispy, remove and set aside on a paper towel; leaving the fat from the bacon in the pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Traditionally these 3 items are called the MIREPOIX. Sweat the mirepoix until the onions turn translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Add the flour to make roux. Cook roux until blond in color, (about 5 to 7 minutes), while stirring constantly. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon back into the pan. (Reserve the rest of the bacon for garnish.) Season with salt and pepper.

3. Turn the heat to medium high, bring the soup up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and tender. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. You can adjust the thickness by adding water or stock for a thinner soup. It should have a creamy consistency. Adjust your seasonings.

5. Garnish with your desired toppings.

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