Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Sorry for the poor quality pic, It was taken with my phone!


I have been wanting to try this recipe from my friend, Michelle's, food blog, www.tastytreatsbymichi.weebly.com/. She grew up in her Dad's restaurant (Tony Roma's) that was known for it's potato soup. Since she follows the Swank Diet, which is a no fat/low fat diet, she came up with this healthy alternative. Even if you aren't necessarily following a low fat diet, it never hurts to eat something yummy that is actually good for you!

I made this soup last night in the crockpot... my favorite cooking method right now. My husband ate several bowls and loved it!

P.S. Sorry Mich- I used regular bacon and not the turkey bacon your recipe called for. I am weak!

Adapted from www.tastytreatsbymichi.weebly.com/ :

Ingredients for Soup:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large white onions, chopped
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup fat free half and half ( Michelle notes: any brand that doesn't have mono & diglycerides, like Publix)
1 cup 1% buttermilk
1/2 cup of Nonfat Greek yogurt (Oikos) - I didn't have this on hand so I left it out, but I am sure it would be a tasty addition.
2 pounds Idaho potatoes- washed, peeled and cubed into large bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp hot sauce
32 ounces of Organic Chicken Broth

Ingredients for Toppings:
Fat Free Cheddar Cheese, shredded (Michelle notes: Kraft of Lifetime)
Nonfat Greek Yogurt (Oikos) - Again, I didn't have this on hand, so I used sour cream... definitely not Swank friendly.
Green onions, chopped
98% Fat Free Turkey Bacon, chopped and cooked- I used regular bacon... I didnt have the turkey kind.

Peel and chop the onions and throw in crockpot. Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into large bite-sized cubes. This soup is not creamed at all, so the chunks cannot be too large to eat. Add the flour, olive oil, the chicken stock, half and half, buttermilk to pot. Finally, add the spices, hot sauce, and potatoes. Let soup cook on high for 4-5 hours. Stir the soup occasionally and check the flavoring before serving. Add more salt or hot sauce if necessary.

Garnish soup with topping and enjoy!

Also Note: I have learned that cooking bacon in the oven is a much cleaner, healthier alternative. I place mine elevated on a rack and let the fat drip off. It also saves my stove from messy splatter to clean up. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.