Loaded Potato Soup

I'm sure everyone has had O'Charley's potato soup, but my family..and even my MOM..prefers this potato soup to theirs, and I consider that a WIN! It's so creamy and hearty and it definitely will fill you up! This recipe makes quite a bit because we usually always want leftovers; my husband even takes it to work for his employees. Best part...it's all made in ONE POT! So the clean-up is a breeeeeeze. We even have this in the summer because it just hits the spot every single time and does not disappoint. Hope you love it like we do!

Warning: This dish has a lot of potatoes, a lot of butter and a lot of dairy...it is

Threat Level: Midnight on the Food Coma chart.

---

Servings: A LOT!!

Ingredients:

--thick cut bacon (I use a whole pound, but if you want to cut out the heart attack factor, just use about 8 slices)

--1 small white onion, diced

--3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

--5-6 large potatoes, peeled and diced

--2 cups chicken broth

--12 TBSP unsalted butter

--3/4 cup all-purpose flour

--1.5 cups heavy whipping cream

--4.5 cups whole milk

--2 tsp salt

--3/4 tsp pepper

--2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

--1/2 cup sour cream

--green onion, sliced (one bunch should be plenty)

---

1. Peel and dice potatoes, place in a large bowl and set aside. *I cut some into bite size chunks and some into small pieces that almost dissolve in your mouth.* Wow...I'm salivating a little bit...

2. Dice your onion and chop the garlic and add to the bowl of potatoes.

3. Cut the bacon into small bite size pieces and place in a large pot or Dutch oven, cook until crispy and brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

4. Drain all but 2 TBSP of the bacon grease, if needed. *I usually don't have to drain any, but depending on your bacon you might have a lot of excess grease.

5. Add the butter to the pot and melt it, combining it with the bacon grease, then add the onion, garlic and potatoes and cook for about 4-5 minutes.

6. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Let this cook for a few minutes, you want a light crisp to the potatoes.

7. Add the chicken broth, milk and cream, stir and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the potatoes are cooked and tender, about 30-40 minutes.

8. Add the cheese (ALL OF IT), let it sink in and melt for 30 seconds or so then stir.

9. Add the sour cream, half of the cooked bacon and a handful of sliced green onion and stir.

10. Serve immediately with the remaining bacon, green onion and additional cheese (if preferred). We usually have dinner rolls with ours, because we hate ourselves and want to live like pigs.

---