Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Looking for a delicious, homemade, Potato soup? Who doesn't love this on a cool winter night?

Ingredients:

1 Pound bacon

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 Large carrot, peeled and diced

3/4 C Celery Flakes

4 Large Potatoes

1/4 C Flour

2 C chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 C Heavy whipping cream (*Note: you can use whole milk instead to be healthier!- you will need around 5-6 cups of whole milk and about a 1/2 C Flour if you go that route)

Garnishes:

-Chives

-Bacon

-Sour Cream

-Chedder and Mont Jack cheese

Prep:

In EVOO cook onions, carrots and celery flakes until the onions are translucent.  Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally. 

Whisk in flour and stirover low heat until thicker (about 5-7 min) Add chicken stock and 1/2 bacon, and season with Salt/Pepper to your taste.  (remember the less salt, the better the sodium level!)

Over med heat, bring soup to a simmer and cook 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Mash some potatoes for a thicker texture (I mashed 1/2 of mine!)  Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Season to taste and garnish!

I served mine with a yummy bread... here is the recipe!

Ranch Bread:

Ingredients:

1 Loaf sour dough bread(round)

1/2 Lb sliced thin cheddar cheese from the deli

3 oz. Oscar Meyer real bacon bits

1/2 C butter, melted

1 T Ranch dressing mix

Prep:

Cut the bread into diagnal slices, but do NOT cut through the bottom of the bread.

Place slices of cheese in cuts

sprinkle bacon bits on bread in between slices

mix butter and ranch dressing mix and pour over bread making sure to get it into the slices

Wrap entire loaf in foil and place on baking sheet

Bake 350 for 15 minutes, then unwrap and bake 10 minutes.