Baked Potato Soup

This is the perfect soup for a cold, rainy day. Eating this soup is like cozying up next to a fireplace with a blanket that just came fresh out of the dryer.

Act 1:
1 onion (chopped)
3 sticks of celery (chopped)
5 carrots (peeled and chopped)
3 russet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
3 slices of bacon

Act: 2
1 qt. chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

Act: 3
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh chives


Cook the bacon until it is slightly golden and the fat is rendered out. Take out the bacon and reserve it for later but leave in the drippings. Sautee the veggies with plenty of black pepper and kosher salt. Cook until the onions are translucent then add the chicken stock. Cook until the potatoes fall apart easily with a fork. Add thyme and whipping cream. Partially blend the soup with an immersion blender leaving some pieces of potato intact. Finally add the reserved bacon, cheese and chives. Let the soup rest for a few minutes to thicken.