Thick and creamy, this soup uses leftover baked potatoes.
- Carbohydrate 50.0272834403383 g
- Cholesterol 105.937121223457 mg
- Fat 67.1704690977056 g
- Fiber 4.7720278567218 g
- Protein 27.269669540585 g
- Saturated Fat 25.7671243231201 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (543g)
- Sodium 1182.20013836786 mg
- Sugar 45.2552555836165 g
- Trans Fat 5.4509322414071 g
- Calories 909 calories
Step-by-step
- Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
- In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.
Residual starches in leftover baked potatoes behave entirely differently than raw tubers boiled from scratch, releasing amylose more readily into the dairy base without requiring a prolonged simmer. Margarine provides a stable fat source for the roux, but butter with a minimum of eighty percent fat content can replace it directly at a one-to-one ratio if preferred. Whisking all-purpose flour into melted fat over medium heat cooks out the raw cereal taste within two minutes, creating a smooth paste that prevents lumpy starches when cold milk is introduced. Pouring the seven cups of milk gradually while maintaining constant motion ensures the liquid hydrates the flour evenly instead of forming stubborn pockets. Simmering the cubed potatoes for ten minutes allows the interior temperature of the chunks to match the surrounding velouté without disintegrating completely into mush. Cheddar cheese and sour cream introduce proteins and lactic acid that react with the milk fats, requiring gentle heat during the final incorporation stage to prevent separation or graininess. Crisp bacon provides a savory, smoky counterpoint to the rich dairy, while raw green onions add bright sulfur compounds that cut through the heavy fats on the palate. Render the bacon in a deep skillet over medium heat until uniformly browned, then drain thoroughly on paper towels to maintain structural crunch before crumbling. Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though the starch will continue absorbing moisture and thicken the consistency noticeably upon reheating.
