Homemade Baked Potato Soup

I feel that it just isn't winter until you have had a hearty bowl of baked potato soup. Unfortunately the restaurant that made my favorite closed down a year a go so I have been on the search to find a delicious soup. With the temperature outside back down below freezing I decided tonight would be the perfect night for some baked potato soup. The soup itself is easy but what really makes the soup delicious is the various topping that I think compliments this soup quite nicely. So when the weather get cold, this soup is the perfect thing to warm you up.

Ingredients
6 Potatoes, Cleaned
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Flour
6 Cups Whole Milk (feel free to use a different type in order to cut calories)
2 teaspoons Salt
Dash of Black Pepper
1 Cup of Cheddar Cheese
2 Green Onions, Chopped
1/2 Cup Sour Cream

For the Toppings
Bacon (you can cook your own bacon like I did, or you can use bacon bits)
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Green Onions

Instructions
1. Cook Potatoes in the microwave. (you also can use the oven but I find the microwave easier and it saves a lot of time)

2. Cook the bacon according to the directions. (I'm a fan of cooking the bacon in the oven I think it turns out perfect ever time. To learn how to do it click here)

3. Once the potatoes are cooked and cooled peel the skin off the potatoes. (Once they are cooled the skin peels off easily)

4. Take three potatoes and mash them with a fork. Take the remaining three potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.

5. In a large sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted stir in 1/4 cup of flour to make a rue. Cook until it becomes slightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Whisk in the milk, and once combined add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Let the mixture cook until thick, about 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Once the soup has thickened, add in the potatoes and stir into well combined.

8. Add in Cheddar cheese, stir and remove from the heat.

9. Add in sour cream and green onions and stir.

10. Serve immediately. I pair this soup with all of the toppings in dishes on the side, this way it becomes a self serve and everyone can add as much or as little as they want. Tonight I went with crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.

The baked potato soup was amazing, it was the perfect pick me up for a cold winter day. Though during the summer I occasionally like to turn up the AC and make some soup to warm myself up. This is a simple weekend night recipe that anyone can throw together when they get home from work. Enjoy:)