One of our Guilty Pleasures

One of our guilty pleasures is Baked Potato Soup!! This is a soup that Matt and I both go crazy for. It's definitely not healthy by a long shot, but it's such a great comfort food. (and easy to make!) I've tried a couple recipes before, just because I like to switch it up sometimes, but this is by far the best I've ever made/had. I owe it all to allrecipes.com.

• 3 bacon strips, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley. (we like to mix in the bacon and cheese while still in the pot instead of garnishing, then I garnish with more cheese haha!)