Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Imagine a great baked potato with all the toppings, but in a creamy soup. This recipe is a simple and yet so good. It is also from the Cooking Light Cookbook, so you don't have to feel bad about eating it!

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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4 large baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.)

2/3 cup all purpose flour

6 cups 2% milk

1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

3/4 cup green onions

6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean potatoes, pierce with a fork. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coursely mash. Discard the skins.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; leve with a knife. Place flour in a large soup pan, gradually add milk; stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 min). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup green onions. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Garnish with sprinkles of cheese, green onion and bacon. Serves 8 (1 1/2 cup) servings. Fat 10.8 g; calories 329.

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*I find that it is a little easier to make the soup thicker if a typical roux is made using a little bit of butter and the flour (about 1/4 cup of butter). I always add more salt and pepper and cheese, but I wanted to do it the way it was published first so that the people who have kept their New Year's Resolution to eat healthier will know "the numbers." Another way to keep the numbers down is to use Turkey Bacon instead of pork bacon. I hope you enjoy this on a cold day!

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Recipe credits: The Best of Cooking Light Cookbook, Baked Potato Soup, pg. 329