Creamy and cheesy soup with baked potatoes, bacon, and cheddar cheese.
- Carbohydrate 43.9141861366284 g
- Cholesterol 106.167500033148 mg
- Fat 67.268727846556 g
- Fiber 3.78536114555033 g
- Protein 26.6853027885127 g
- Saturated Fat 25.7903194627334 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (480g)
- Sodium 1183.68894545324 mg
- Sugar 40.1288249910781 g
- Trans Fat 5.45292333702857 g
- Calories 884 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.
Why does flour separate into oily clumps the moment cold milk hits the pan? The answer lies in starch hydration. When melting margarine, cooking it with all-purpose flour for one to two minutes eliminates the raw cereal taste and cooks the starch granules so they can suspend dairy fats uniformly. Whisking cold milk into warm roux requires a slow, steady stream. Pouring too fast drops the pot temperature below 180 degrees Fahrenheit, halting the gelatinization process needed for body. Using pre-shredded cheese instead of a freshly blocked cheddar introduces cellulose coatings that prevent proper melting, leaving a grainy texture in the liquid. Grating your own cheese yields a smooth emulsion when stirred into the simmering base over low heat. For equipment, a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven distributes heat evenly across the cooking surface, preventing scorching during the milk-thickening phase. If a heavy pot is unavailable, a standard stockpot paired with a heat diffuser plate will protect the dairy from scorching on the bottom. Cubing pre-baked potatoes rather than boiling raw tubers infuses the final broth with concentrated starch and a distinct roasted aroma. Add the cubed potatoes only after the liquid base has thickened to a simmer, ensuring they soften without entirely disintegrating into mush. Sour cream must be incorporated off the direct heat source or at the very end of the cooking cycle; introducing high-acid dairy to a boiling liquid causes immediate curdling and protein separation.
