• It is soup season!  I adore soup season.  I love how you can put a pot on to let it simmer and the whole house feels warmer and smells amazing.  I love that soups are wonderfully filling, and you can pack in some good veggies too.  One of my all time favorite soups would have to be Potato Bacon Soup.  It has potatoes, yum!  It has cheese, yum yum! And it has bacon!!  Yummy!!  Thick and creamy, tastes like a caloric nightmare.  Thank goodness, it’s really not that bad.  It just tastes that good.  I have a pot of this on right now, and I just wish I could share the scent.

    You will need:
    2 1/2 pounds potatoes
    4 slices of bacon
    1 chopped onion
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 cloves garlic
    1 bay leaf
    3 3/4 cup 2% milk
    Pepper to taste
    2 cups chicken broth
    1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
    Green onions for garnish

    Heat your oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and dry your potatoes, then pierce them with a fork.  Wrap in foil and bake them for one hour.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool until you can handle them.  In a large bowl roughly mash your potatoes skin and all.  Set aside.

    Prepare your bacon until extra crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the drippings.  Cook the onion in the bacon drippings.  Sauté until the onions are transparent.  Add the potatoes and seasonings to the pot with the onions.  Slowly add the milk and broth.  Stir while bringing to a boil.

    Reduce your heat to a low simmer for roughly 10 minutes.  Mix in the cheese and stir until melted.
    Serve immediately and top with crumbled bacon, green onions, and extra cheese.

    Feel your insides warm up with the first bite.