1/4cupfull fat Greek yogurtlight sour cream can be used as well
1/4cupgluten-free flour blendall-purpose can be used as well
1 1/2tspsalt
1/2tsppepper
Toppings
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon
chopped chives
sour cream
tabasco
Instructions
Baked potatoes
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry potatoes. Pierce both sides with fork. Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes just until softened and tender. You don't want them too soft otherwise you'll end up with mashed potatoes. Once cooked, you'll want to let cool for a few minutes before you remove the skin and cut in small cubes. While potatoes cook start preparing your bacon.
Bacon
Heat a medium size Dutch oven or stock pot to medium heat. With kitchen shears cut bacon directly over pot. Cook stirring often until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to crumble when it's cooled. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of grease from pot. Remove the pot from the heat and turn down to low while you peel and chop your cooked potatoes.
Soup
Once your potatoes are peeled and cut in small cubes, place the pot back on the stove and turn heat up to medium. Add the butter onion and celery. Sauté until softened. Add garlic and thyme. Cook 1 minute. Add the flour and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly add chicken stock, using a whisk to make sure it smooths out. Add the warmed milk, cooked potatoes, parsley, and salt and pepper. It should start to thicken. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of chicken stock to thin it out. Bring back up to a simmer and cook 5-10 minutes on medium low. Once the soup is thick, and bubbly hot, remove from heat and add Greek yogurt or sour cream. Season with more salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!
Serve up a generous helping and add the crispy crumbled bacon and your favorite toppings.
Notes
*You can cook the potatoes up to one day in advance if you're a super planner. Just make sure they are completely cooled before you refrigerate. This will cut your time down by about 30 minutes when you prepare the soup.*I love using kitchen shears to cut up bacon. It's less messy than dragging out another cutting board and so easy to cut the bacon right over the pan. *Cream based soups can burn easily and stick to the bottom if you're not careful. Make sure to stir often and watch the heat. *Make sure you remove your main dish off the heat when adding cream of any kind (yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream) to your recipes otherwise it could curdle.*If you want to skip the potato-baking process all-together, peel and chop potatoes in small cubes and add them in after the onions have softened. You'll want to cook the potatoes about 10 minutes until tender, then proceed with the rest of the cooking instructions. Note: Nutritional facts for this recipe my vary depending on products used, and does not include the cheese and additional sour cream.