in the kitchen: loaded potato soup

So I have a monster cold right now.  And so does my son.  Yuck.  Don't really feel like sewing anything right now.

Until I get over this cold and feel inspired to be crafty again, let me share a super-yummy soup recipe with you.  I made this last week for dinner, and my husband and I both loved it (not so much our son...he still gets picky with potatoes sometimes). 

I modified the recipe a little, since I think it needed more cheese (come on, don't most recipes need more cheese?).  Plus the recipe called for sauteing onions for the base of the soup, but my hubby isn't crazy about chunks of onions in his soup, so next time I'm just going to use a little onion powder instead.  You can find the original recipe here, but I'll go ahead and give you my somewhat adapted version below.

Loaded Potato Soup
(adapted from Cooking Light)

4 (6 ounce) red-skinned potatoes
1/2 to 1 teaspoon onion powder (to taste)
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 turkey bacon slices
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Thinly sliced green onions (optional)


1. Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave on HIGH 10-12 minutes or until tender.  Allow to cool slightly and cut in half.
2.  While potatoes cook, heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour and 1/2 cup of the milk.  Add this and the onion powder to the broth, as well as the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring often, and cook for one minute.
3. Cook bacon in the microwave for 3-4 minutes while doing step 2.  Allow to cool and then crumble it.
4. Remove the soup from the heat, then add the sour cream, salt, and pepper.  Remove the potato flesh from the skins.  Coarsely mash the potatoes into the soup.  Stir in 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the cheese (personal preference), and then top with remaining cheese, bacon, and onions.

Mmmm...enjoy!