Easy Baked Potato Soup Recipe

This is the sort of thick, rich, heavy soup that I like to eat when it is cold out (believe it or not, it DOES get cold here in Hawaii!) or when I want a heavy meal but can't afford one. It is very filling.

Baked potato soup isn't the healthiest of meals, but it can sometimes be very cheap and does not require any difficult-to-find ingredients. This soup will be much healthier with potatoes from your own garden. Once removed from the ground, potatoes immediately begin converting into starch. Potatoes in the grocery store are usually several days or even weeks old and are mostly just starch. For best results, use fresh potatoes, but if all you have is storebought, that will work as well.

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes (cleaned)
Water (or your choice of broth)
6-8 oz grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
1/2 cup - 1 cup diced green onions or chives (optional)
2 teaspoons garlic salt or 1 teaspoon salt
diced bacon bits or diced ham (optional)
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional but HIGHLY recommended)

Cut up and boil potatoes (I leave the skins on) in enough water or broth or a mix of both to cover them completely. Once they are soft enough to smash easily, add all other ingredients and simmer on low for five minutes. Keep stirring so that the cheese does not burn on the bottom. Use a potato masher or whatever you have that will do the job (I use a drink mixer) to puree the potatoes finely. Serve hot. I like mine thicker, but if you want to make it thinner, you can add more sour cream, water, or broth.

If there is something weird that you happen to like on your baked potatoes - ADD IT!