Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

Who likes cheesy potatoes?  (Arms waving wildly in the air) I do!    How about in soup form with a beer base.  MMmmmm.

So, this is another not all that diet friendly soup (but I have a couple of those coming—pinky swear!), but as most rich soups are, deliciously satisfying.  I’ve cut down the calories a bit by replacing some half and half with fat free milk and cutting the butter by over half, so we can feel a bit less guilty about enjoying this soup (even during New Year’s Resolution time) – after all, it’s all about moderation!

Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

Adapted from The Neelys via Food Network

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

¼ cup flour

Salt & pepper to taste

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup skim milk

1 (12oz) bottle light or amber beer

2 large red skin potatoes, diced, not peeled

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese

Dash of hot sauce

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

4 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for one more minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Slowly whisk in the stock, followed by the milk and beer.  Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender; 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli until tender, drain and set aside.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.  Slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly until it is melted.  Add in the broccoli, a dash of hot sauce and Worcestershire to taste, and additional salt and pepper, if desired.  Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

Serves 4-6