Cream of Potato Soup

I remember the first time I had creamy potato soup. My sister had to make it if for a Girl Scout function. It was love at first bite. This is not your typical cream of potato soup, but it is tasty!

Serves: 10

6 large peeled baking potatoes

Enough water to cover potatoes by a little over an inch when chopped in a pot.

1 large Vidalia onion, minced

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons Hidden Valley ranch salad dressing mix

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

Dash of paprika

1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped

8 ounces sour cream

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop 2 potatoes into small squares and place in a small baking dish. Bake until soft, about 15 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside until later.

Meanwhile, quarter remaining potatoes and place with the onions into a large soup pot.

Add water to the pot until it covers the potato chunks by at least 1 inch bring to a boil. Boil potato chunks until very soft, then turn off heat and allow standing until the pot is calm.

Very carefully use a masher to mash the potatoes while they are still under the water in the pot. Add the margarine to the pot as you are mashing. Continue to mash until you have a creamy thick soup.

Bring the pot to a simmer; add garlic and all remaining ingredients except cheese. Add the baked potato squares from earlier.

Keep stirring and simmering until the bacon gets a bit soft, usually about 10 minutes. Add all the cheeses, and keep stirring until cheese has melted entirely into the soup.

Check soup consistency. If it is too thick for your taste, simply add a cup of water and check again after stirring the soup for a few minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, serve.