Food For Friday: Baked Potato Soup

I have been craving potato soup for weeks and finally put it on the menu for last week.  I didn't have a favorite recipe already, so I combed a few websites and browsed for ideas, then created my own version of Baked Potato Soup.  It was a success and we'll definitely have to make it once more this winter before "soup weather" is over and spring comes to stay!

Ingredients:
4 large or 5 medium organic potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
4.5 cups lowfat organic milk
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 + 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 + 1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (we used triple cheddar with sharp, mild & white cheddar)
1/2 cup organic light sour cream
cooked, crumbled turkey bacon
extra cheddar cheese for garnish
sliced green onions (scallions) for garnish

Scrub and peel the organic potatoes.  You can peel roughly leaving some skin on for texture if you'd like.  Dice the potatoes into similar sized 1 inch cubes, which will help them to cook evenly.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil the cubed potatoes until they are fork tender.  Drain them in a colander.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop 1/2 a package of bacon (we used turkey bacon) into small pieces.  Saute them over medium heat until crispy, them remove them to a paper towel covered plate.  Wash the green onions and chop the dark green ends into thin scallions.  Put aside.  

Dump the cooked potatoes into a large bowl and mash them until they are mostly smooth but with some chunks left throughout.  I use a potato masher, which makes the job easy.  You could also remove some chunks with a fork and puree the rest in a blender or food processor.

In the large pot that you cooked the potatoes in, you are going to create a roux to start the soup.  Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat and add in a few tablespoons of milk.  Slowly add the whole wheat flour and whisk it in to create a thick paste.  If it is getting too thick or lumpy, add more milk until it is the right pasty consistency.  After all of the flour has been whisked it, slowly begin the whisking in the milk to make a sauce.  The trick is to add a little milk at a time, whisking it in and letting it simmer to keep the sauce from getting too thin as you add the milk.

Add in the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and mix well.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Mix in the cheddar cheese and sour cream until it has melted into the sauce.

Add in the potatoes and stir together until combined.  Heat through.  You can adjust the consistency now, adding more milk if the soup is too thick, or simmering for longer if you need it to thicken.

Ladle into the serving bowls and top with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon & scallions.