Baked Potato Soup

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 leek stalks, chopped into bite size pieces
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups 2 % milk (I was bad and used one cup of cream and one cup of 1% milk)
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever you would like)
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf (I didn't use one)
2-3 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (didn't use)

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon is done, remove to paper towels for later use. Remove all but 2 teaspoons of bacon grease from Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery and leeks to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes then add the minced garlic and stir frequently for 45 seconds. Add 3 cups of chicken stock, milk, russet potatoes, sea salt, black pepper, half of the bacon crumbles and the bay leaf. Cover over medium low heat for 60 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, bring the soup to a slight boil. Mix the corn starch with the 1/4 cup of chicken stock and mix thoroughly. Add the slurry to the soup and stir. Taste and re-season if desired. Reduce heat, add cheese, and let the soup thicken for few minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and top with bacon crumbles and parsley.

This recipe was perfect for a cool night! The recipe didn't originally ask for leeks, but I had them in the fridge so I added them in. While this recipe was damn tasty, I saw some recipes with sour cream added into the soup. I'll try it out and let you know :o) Enjoy!!