Baked Potato Soup

As the weather gets colder here in Washington state the comfort food recipes start to emerge from my repertoire. This recipe in general just screams warm fall food that sticks to your ribs and makes you feel good all over. Not to mention it has tons of smoky bacon in it which is the magic meat. If you have never made this before you will be amazed at how much this tastes like a baked potato. It's just your basic milk base broth but when you get the hang of it you can use it to make any chowder you can imagine.

My recipe used gold or yellow potatoes but you can use whichever kind you have. I like the gold ones better because they keep their shape better then say a russet potato. But feel free to use whatever you have. Also the cheese I use is medium cheddar but you can use If you have any questions please let me know.

Ingredients
- 2 pounds thick sliced bacon diced small
- 10 - 12 yellow/gold potatos, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 bunch green onions diced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 cups 2%/whole milk
- 3 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese

The Process
1. Take the bacon and in a large skillet and cook until all the pieces are done and crispy. Strain the bacon from the grease and set aside. While the bacon is cooking prepare your potatoes and place in water so they don't turn brown.
2. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the butter and bring to a simmer. Add the flour a little at a time stirring constantly until all the flour is mixed well with the butter creating a roux. Cook the roux for an additional 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the milk and bring to a boil.
3. The the milk and butter roux is simmering, add the cheese and sour cream. When the cheese is melted and the sour cream dissolved add the reserved bacon and green onions and bring to a simmer.
4. Cover and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Serve in bowls with a green onion garnish or a dollop of sour cream.
5. Enjoy!!!