roasted potato and bacon soup

Let me just start off by saying, this soup is not low calorie.

There. I said it.

It is, however, chock full of this…

And I can’t think of anything else to say that will be as good as what you just saw, so I’ll just quit my jibba-jabba and give you the recipe now. 

Roasted Potato & Bacon Soup
(makes 6 – 8 servings)
8 slices thick cut slab bacon
6 medium russet potatoes (cut to 1″ cubes)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp fine ground sea salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
5 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, oil, salt, white pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Toss to evenly coat then spread in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Cover the potatoes with the uncooked bacon slices.

Roast in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the potatoes are fork tender. I’m not sure why I never thought to cook potatoes like this before. The deliciousness (and fat) from the bacon cooks right into them resulting in a depth of flavor that can not be matched. I had to hold myself back from just skipping the soup and eating them directly off the sheet pan…

Remove from the oven and crumble the bacon into a small bowl then set aside. Using a fork or potato masher, roughly mash the potatoes leaving some larger pieces for texture. (You can do this right on the pan.)

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat then add the onions and crumbled bacon and cook for a few minutes to soften and sweat the onions. Add the flour and stir to coat then slowly stir in the milk and cream. Stir to slightly thicken then reduce the heat to medium low and add 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese (reserve the rest for serving garnish) and stir to melt. Add in the potatoes and stir to combine then reduce the heat to low and simmer to final thicken (around 15 – 20  minutes.) Add additional salt & pepper to taste.

Now, you could just eat it like this and it would taste pretty frickin’ amazing. But if you’re going to take the plunge, take the plunge. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and a few green onions…

Seriously. I pity the fool that don’t eat this soup. (I do believe Mr. T would approve this message.)

OMFG. SO GOOD.