Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I know my 2nd recipe is another soup but with the weather our country has been experiencing, it just feels right.  Also, soups can be filling, make a ton and best yet, they can be cheap.

So I feel I need to acknowledge one of the ingredients that I use in my Split Pea and this recipe; Bacon ends and pieces. Bacon ends and pieces is something I found and decided to try in a chili recipe.  I loved it, it had huge chunks of bacon and made the perfect addition for many of my recipes.  What is it? Well, basically it's the ugly step sister of bacon.  You know those packages of uniform, beautiful bacon, well, not all the pieces come out looking so pretty so they are packaged up and sold for about 1/2 the price of the pretty stuff. Yes, it is a lot of fat as well and I usually cut most of that off but I do use some because the fat adds lots of great flavor. And sometimes there are huge chunks of bacon, thick and tasty bacon!

I have found this at Trader Joe's and Albertsons.  I have not looked elsewhere but I bet if you shop at a store that has a butcher, and you don't see this item, ask the butcher what they do with the ugly bacon, they may sell it to you for cheap or better yet, if they just discard it, maybe they can discard it to you, the hungry hungry college student.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes

½ package of bacon ends and pieces

1 cup Onion mix (chopped onions, shallots and minced garlic)

4 cups 2% milk

2 cups buttermilk

5 oz. sharp cheddar cheese

1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika

S&P to taste

Toppings: Sour Cream, fresh chives, bacon crumbles

Directions:

Clean and pierce the potatoes then bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Once done and cooled, remove the skin and cut into small chunks.

Trim the majority of the fat off of the bacon ends and pieces.  In a stock pot, cook the bacon over medium high heat until cooked through and crispy. Take out and set aside.  In the bacon drippings, sauté the onion, shallot & garlic mixture until the onions are translucent (10~15 minutes).  Add flour, milk and buttermilk and heat over medium heat until creamy and bubbly.  Add potato chunks, crumble the bacon (reserve some for the garnish) but add the rest to the pot.  Then add the cheese and paprika, stir until cheese melts and remove from heat.   S&P to taste.

Garnish with shredded cheese, bacon, chives and sour cream.  Enjoy!  Makes approximately 6 servings.

Pricing: (all ingredients were purchased at Trader Joe’s)

4 russet potatoes - $1.96

Onion mix - $1.69

Bacon ends and pieces - $2.99 (whole package)

Milk (1 quart) - $1.49

Buttermilk (1 quart) - $1.49

Shredded Sharp Cheddar - $4.29 (12 oz. package – use about ½ of this)

Smoked paprika - $2.99

Chives - $1.79

Sour cream - ~$2.00 or less depending on size.

Based on the quantities used this meal comes to just under $10.00 and makes each serving less than $2.00.

If you are looking to save $$, cut the smoked paprika and the buy a pint of buttermilk instead.