Fully loaded baked potato chowder

Quick, hearty and spectacularly delicious!

I love this recipe because it is a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes. If you are using leftovers, you can have this soup on the table in about 20 minutes, which is another huge bonus; even if you have to bake the potatoes first, it will still take less than an hour to prepare. As my very happy taste-testers can confirm, this bowl of goodness really does taste like fully loaded baked potatoes! For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon bits and melt 1/4 cup (60 mL) of butter in the pot before adding the flour. You can easily prepare this chowder ahead of time and gently reheat before serving; the recipe can also be doubled or tripled to feed a larger group. Leftover mashed potatoes could also be used though the chowder will have a smoother texture.

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 6 slices thick-cut double smoked bacon (or 8 sliced regular bacon)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour OR gluten-free flour
• 4 cups (1 litre) milk (or more, if you prefer your chowder less thick)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) sour cream
• 1 cup (250 mL) grated old Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh chives or green onion tops

Method

• If starting with raw potatoes, preheat the oven to 375F. Wash and prick potatoes then bake for about 45 minutes; they are done when they can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
• Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) pieces and cook in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
• Add the flour to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour and bacon fat are well blended and flour has been toasted.
• Pour in the milk a bit at a time, whisking constantly to incorporate the flour mixture. If it looks really lumpy, strain after adding all the milk, wipe out the pot, and return the milk mixture to the pot.
• Cook milk and flour mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until thickened and just beginning to boil. Add a little salt and pepper and stir again.
• While milk and flour cook, cut cooked potatoes in half and use a small spoon to remove the cooked flesh out of the skins. Hold them in a paper towel so you don’t burn your hands!
• Add potatoes to the hot milk mixture and mash gently with a potato masher or a fork, leaving some of the potato pieces intact (you are aiming for a chunky texture).
• Let potatoes warm in the pot for a few minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Remove from the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, add a dollop of sour cream to each then sprinkle with cooked bacon bits, grated cheddar and chives. Serve hot.

Serves 4.