Baked Potato Soup

Pierce the potatoes a few times with a fork. If you like, you can wrap each in a damp paper towel and set them on a plate. Bake the potatoes in your microwave until soft. Cook time will vary based on size of potato. Most medium to large potatoes will take between 8-12 minutes to cook at full power. Remove them from the microwave.

Let them cool for a few minutes and then slice open and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large pan (I use my Dutch oven) over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour the milk in, stirring constantly. Pour in the chicken broth. Continue to stir. Bring the heat up to medium. Keep stirring until the mixture is thickened.

Add the potatoes, onions, salt, pepper, bacon and cheese. Stir until all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly. You will have potato lumps in the soup. This is what you want. Keep stirring and heat through for about 15 minutes. At this point, stir in the sour cream until well blended. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Note: You might want to make an extra slice or two of bacon and have some more shredded cheese on hand to garnish your bowl of yummy soup!