Looking for an easy, comforting potato soup? This Loaded Baked Potato version has an added kick of roasted garlic. YUM!
- 2 pounds russet potatoes scrubbed and cleaned
- 4 slices thick cut bacon diced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves roasted garlic (regular minced works, too!)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon roasted garlic flavor
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, sweet paprika
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese divided
- Toppings: shredded cheese, green onions
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Preheat the oven to 400ยบ. Poke the clean potatoes with a fork a few times and wrap in foil. Bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Feel free to use a microwave to bake, too!
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Allow the potatoes to cool enough to chop, peeling away a majority of the skin. Set aside.
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In a large pot, heat over medium heat. Add bacon and allow to brown. Remove from pot and save for later. Add onions and garlic. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
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Place butter in the middle of the pot and allow to melt. Sprinkle with flour. Stir and a paste will form after about 1 minute.
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Slowly pour milk into the pot, whisking well. Season with thyme and paprika. Add chicken and roasted garlic Better Than Bouillon. Stir to combine.
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Add water in 1 cup increments, stirring well. Now add chopped potatoes. Stir and allow to bubble for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently.
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Season with salt and pepper. Add more chicken Better Than Bouillon, if needed. Using a masher, or hand blender, break up the potato chunks. If you'd like a smooth soup, blend it completely.
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Add half of the bacon back to the pan, plus 1 cup of cheese. Stir.
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To serve, top with chopped bacon, green onions, cheese and oyster crackers.
You can bake the potatoes ahead of time to make this a quicker process.
To reheat, you might need to add a splash of milk.