Baked Potato Soup

When it's cold and snowy outside and all that your family wants to do is play dolls and ponies (Harper), nap (Hazel and Tucker), and watch football (Colt), the best thing you can do is make a big pot of yummy soup and just go with the laziness of the day.

Whitney introduced us to this recipe a month or so ago and we have been obsessed. This baked potato soup is delicious and comforting in all the right ways.

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 stick butter

1 yellow onion, finely chopped (I use about 3/4 of a large onion)

1/4 cup flour

4 cans of chicken broth (I'm sure vegetable stock would work, too!)

1-2 lbs Potatoes (red or russet), cut into cubes (we like a lot of potatoes in our soup so I don't really keep track of how many I use, but I know that we are probably closer to 2-3 pounds)

2 tbsp. basil 

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

1 tbsp. garlic puree

1 tsp. onion powder

2 Cups half and half

A dash of Creole seasoning (optional)

A few shakes of Tabasco (also optional)

Bacon pieces (optional)

Grated cheese (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

To make:

-Melt butter in a large pot

-Saute onions until they are soft

-Add flour and cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes, stirring constantly

-Add broth, potatoes, basil, salt, pepper, garlic puree, and onion powder

-Bring to a boil

-Turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through

-Add half and half and heat until it's warm

-Add Creole and Tabasco, if desired

We serve this with a whole bunch of yummy stuff. I like mine topped with a little cheese and a lot of Tabasco. Colt likes his with bacon pieces, sour cream, cheese, and Tabasco. 

We love this soup with homemade rolls or pretzel bites.

Sometimes, we add other veggies to it. It's really yummy with carrots (just add them when you add the potatoes).

Side note: Colt turned me on to putting Tabasco in soup (something he learned while playing baseball back east) and I am obsessed. I eat every kind of soup with Tabasco in it now and don't really know how I lived so long without knowing this little secret. If you like things with a little zing, you should definitely try it- Colt is especially fond of Tabasco in clam chowder.