Ingredients
- 5 strips bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (I use 1/2 of this; otherwise, too hot.)
- 2 pounds unpeeled, washed red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese plus more for garnish
- Scallions, for garnish
- Additional shredded cheese, for garnish
Directions
- In a large, heavy-bottom pot, cook bacon until crispy.
- Remove bacon from pot, and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate
- Leave bacon grease in pot, and add 1 tablespoon butter to pot. Melt.
- Add onion and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add celery, and keep cooking over medium-high heat until tender.
- Make a quarter-sized open spot in the bottom of the pot, and pour olive oil onto that spot followed by the garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
- Let the spices toast for 30-seconds, then mix well with the vegetables already in the pot.
- Add potatoes, heavy cream and milk to the pot. Season generously with salt and pepper, mix well and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes (I simmer for almost an hour.)
- While the soup cooks, chop the bacon strips into small bits and set aside.
- After cooking, blend the soup with an immersion blender or mash into a chunkier soup with a potato masher.
- Remove from burner.
- Stir in the sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.
- Serve hot, and garnish with scallions (green onions), cheese and bacon bits.
Source: Carolyn Menyes-the Daily Mail-as seen in Omaha World Herald Insert November 2021