Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees then line a half or quarter sheet pan with foil and place an oven-safe, wire cooling rack on top (alternatively you can bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack). Scrub the potatoes clean then prick them all over with a fork. Place the potatoes on the wire rack then bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a knife can be easily inserted into the centers, flipping the potatoes over with tongs halfway through.

Let the potatoes sit for 10-20 minutes, or until they’re cool enough to handle - I like to slice them in half after taking them out of the oven to speed up the cooling process. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh away from the peels then add to a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until they reach your desired consistency — chunkier potatoes will result in a chunkier soup. Measure out 5 loosely-packed cups of mashed potatoes to use in the soup then set aside. The remaining potatoes can be saved for another use.

Set aside half the total amount of shredded cheese to use for topping each bowl of soup with.

Add the chopped bacon to a large soup pot or Dutch oven then turn the heat to medium. Cook until the bacon is crisp then scoop it onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain and set it aside. Remove all but 2 Tablespoons bacon fat from the pot - just eyeball it.

Add the butter to the pot then, once melted, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic then saute until very fragrant, 1 minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic then whisk until smooth. Cook while whisking for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste then slowly add the chicken stock while whisking to create a smooth sauce. Add the milk then whisk to combine. Season with pepper then turn the heat up to medium-high to bring the soup to a simmer — NOT A BOIL — while whisking slowly yet constantly. Once simmering, turn the heat back down to medium or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer then cook while whisking until the soup has slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Turn the heat under the pot OFF. Add half the remaining shredded cheese then whisk until smooth. Add the remaining shredded cheese then whisk until smooth. Add the sour cream then whisk until smooth. Add half the mashed potatoes then whisk to combine. Add the remaining mashed potatoes then whisk to combine. Add 2/3 of the cooked bacon then stir to combine. Taste then add more salt and/or pepper if necessary. If the temperature of the soup has been brought down too much by adding the cheese, sour cream, and mashed potatoes, turn the heat to medium-low then reheat while stirring until the soup is hot again.

Ladle the soup into bowls then top with the reserved cheese, bacon, and chives or green onions, if using.