Baked Potato Soup

Preheat the oven to 350°F and have a baking sheet ready. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes several times and then place them on the sheet pan. Slide the pan into the oven and bake the potatoes until they're completely tender, 65 to 75 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool completely. Editor's Tip: To save time on the day you want to serve the soup, bake the potatoes the day before. Once they cool, place them in a covered container in the fridge. The next day, peel and cube them to add to the soup.

Remove the peels from the cooked potatoes and discard them. Slice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and set them aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour, salt and white pepper into the butter until the mixture is smooth. Continue stirring for another 30 seconds or so, then whisk in the milk gradually. Stir the mixture constantly as you bring it to a boil. Continue to stir and simmer the liquid for about two minutes until it's thickened. Add the potatoes to the pan and mix them into the soup; give the soup another minute or two on the burner to warm the potatoes through, then remove the pan from the heat.

Add the sour cream to the soup and stir it in thoroughly. Then, fold in the sliced green onions. Ladle the finished recipe into soup bowls, and top each serving with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled cooked bacon.