Serves 4-6
Soup:
2.5 lbs of potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 quart of chicken broth
2 cups (8 oz) of cheddar (and/or Monterrey jack), shredded
1 tbsp poultry seasoning (I use Bell's)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
Grease from Bacon (see toppings)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-6 cloves of minced garlic (to taste)
1 cup of milk, sour cream, half & half, light cream, or heavy cream...
Optional - 2 cups of broccoli
Toppings:
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 stalks of scallions (~1/2 cup), chopped
1 cup of cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack)
1 cup of sour cream (optional)
Add potatoes, spices, and chicken stock to a large pot. Cover and boil ~20 minutes or until fork tender.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a separate pan. Remove the bacon from the pan and cook the onion in the drippings. Set to low heat.
Once the potatoes are cooked, use a blender or food processor to blend 3/4 of the potatoes with the chicken broth until a smooth texture is achieved. Mash or break up the remaining potatoes to the size desired for chunks. (If no chunks desired, you may process all of the potatoes, but it keeps some texture in there.) Recombine all of the potatoes in the pot.
Turn the onions back to med-high heat and add the garlic. Once you just start to smell the garlic cook (30-45 seconds), add the milk (or whatever, unless using sour cream.***).
Use a spatula to transfer the onion, garlic, & milk mixture to the soup. Stir and bring to a boil.
Turn off the heat and slowly mix in the cheese. Let cool ~10 minutes.
If using broccoli, steam while the potatoes are boiling and set aside. Stir in once the heat is turned off just before adding the cheese.
Serve into bowls and top with bacon bits, scallions, cheese and sour cream. Loosely mix the toppings into the soup and enjoy!
