Well boys and girls, it’s officially fall. As the days get cooler and cloudier, a tear comes to my eye as I kiss goodbye the beauty of summer. On the bright side, it’s football season and I can now justify eating as much soup as I want. Loaded baked potato soup is a longtime favorite of mine, so I thought I’d try my hand at making my own (since I would happily eat it as a full meal, but those restaurant bowls just never come big enough).
As a somewhat reformed carbaholic, I couldn’t picture a better way to spend a chilly, rainy September afternoon than curled up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and a bowl of this deliciousness. I mean really… what problem can’t creamy potatoes, garlic, cheese and bacon solve? I’ll wait…
The name of this recipe was initially inspired from (obvi) the red skin potatoes I chose to use. The added bonus I later discovered is that it makes for the perfect game day pick-me-up after watching my hometown Redskins (they stress me out, honestly). It’s the tailgating favorite loaded potato skins, in soup form. Best of both worlds, if you ask me!
Ever made a roux with bacon grease? Yeah, neither had I. Not sure whether my Louisiana relatives would love me or disown me for this, but it adds such a depth of flavor to this soup! Bacon makes everything better! Anthony actually said this aloud upon tasting this soup (though now he denies it) but it’s true!
- 6 medium red potatoes
- 6 cups 2% milk
- 12 slices of center cut pork bacon
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 4 scallions
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 French baguette
- Olive oil
- Roughly chop your potatoes into about 1 inch chunks and place in a large pot with enough cold water to cover them by a couple of inches. Bring the potatoes to a boil and then reduce the heat slightly, allowing them to cook until they're fork-tender (about 10-12 minutes).
- In a separate pot, warm the milk over medium heat. Be careful not to boil it, but instead to slowly bring the temperature up until it's heated through.
- While your milk and potatoes are going, heat a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat (I used our 6 quart cast iron dutch oven) and chop your bacon into bite-size chunks. When the pot is warm, add your bacon and cook until crispy. Once done, remove it from the pot and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Quickly whisk your flour into the bacon grease left in the pot, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. Once it's combined (and before it starts darkening too much), carefully whisk in your heated milk. It'll bubble up some, so be careful. Reduce the heat so that everything's at a simmer.
- By now, your potatoes should be done. Poke them with a fork to be sure, and drain them when they're ready. Use a potato masher to break up the chunks a bit. I like a few potato chunks in my soup, but feel free to mash to your desired consistency. Let those hang out for a little bit longer.
- Back to your milk mixture: season your milk with salt and pepper, and stir in your garlic; allow it to simmer so the flavors combine (about 3-4 minutes) before adding your potatoes. Add your potatoes, cheese, bacon and scallions (reserving some bacon, cheese and diced scallions for garnish), stirring to make sure the cheese is melted and everything is combined. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Since the soup is pretty thick, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot when stirring to make sure nothing gets stuck and burns.
- Put a lid on it and let it simmer while you get your bread ready. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and then slice your baguette diagonally. Drizzle the both sides of the slices with a little olive oil (this helps them get that wonderful golden-brown, crust) and place on the hot grill pan. Grill each side for about 2-3 minutes, or until the bread is warmed through and you get those nice grill marks.
- Then, it's time to dish it out and serve! Top each bowl with a pinch of cheese, bacon and scallion on top and grilled baguette on the side, and you're ready to eat! Hope this makes your day as warm and delicious as it did ours, no matter what team you're cheering for! 🙂