Baked Potato Soup

After making potato skins recently, I found myself with most of a 10-pound bag of potatoes left over. That's a lot of potatoes! I made potato focaccia and latkes, but that barely made a dent in my stash. Next on my potatoey to-do list was Baked Potato Soup.



This soup is hearty, but not over-the-top-rich like a lot of creamy potato soups can be. It comes from one of my favorite features in Cooking Light magazine, Recipe Makeovers, where traditionally fattening recipes are given a healthy face lift while maintaining flavor. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light
Printable Recipe

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon or turkey bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

3. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon or turkey bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.