Simple & Delicious Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Today I thought I’d share my favorite soup with everyone:  Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

This stuff is GOOD.  (I’m also holding Daniel as I type this, while he does a dinosaur puzzle on his Nabi.) Plus, I am on hold with the airline trying to change a flight. I figure I’ll be on hold for a while.  Somehow I doubt I’m the only person scrambling to change travel plans this week!!!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Prep:  30minutes- 2 hours, depending on how many children interrupt you while you’re working….

Ha!  No, seriously, I’d set aside 40 minutes or so to make this if your childless.  If you have babies…..well, then, you know!

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes

2/3 Cup butter

2/3 Cup all-purpose flour

6 Cups of milk  (I use whatever heaviness I have on hand.  I’ve done it all from skim to half-half.  The half-half version was off the chain!)

1 t Salt….truthfully, I salt to taste

1 t pepper….same deal…..to taste

1 1/2 Cups….at least….of shredded Cheddar Cheese.  DIVIDED

8 ounces sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Wash your potatoes, and bake them in the microwave.  Yes, the microwave.  Now if you are a purist and refuse to do this, this recipe will take a whole lot longer…..so just give the microwave a shot.  ; )

I can get 3 potatoes baked in 20 minutes in my microwave.  You want to have your potatoes already baked before you start on the rest of the directions.  You could do them in 2 batches of 2 potatoes for about 10-15 minutes each set.

Set the potatoes aside until step 3.

2.  Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.

3.  Cut your potatoes lengthwise and scoop out the pulp and stir them into the soup.

4.  Stir in the salt, pepper, 1 cup of the cheese, and cook until heated but NOT boiling.  Stir in the sour cream, just until heated.

Sprinkle servings with remaining cheese.  My family also likes to eat this with Ritz crackers.  (Well, who wouldn’t?)