Copycat Bennigan's Potato Soup-lightened Version

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 lbs starchy baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
• 3 cups 1% low-fat milk or 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
• shredded colby cheese, garnish (optional)
• crumbled bacon, garnish (optional)
• chopped scallion, garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°f.
• 2 poke potatoes with a fork several times and bake 1 hour or until tender when pierced.
• 3 let cool slightly, and when you can touch them without burning your fingers, peel potatoes.
• 4 melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat.
• 5 add onions and garlic, cover and let sweat 10 minutes, or until soft- but not brown.
• 6 add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash using a potato masher right in the pot.
• 7 add chicken broth, milk, and season to taste with salt & pepper.
• 8 raise the heat slightly to bring mixture to a low simmer (bubbles forming under the surface, but not a boil), stirring occasionally.
• 9 chop remaining potatoes into small cubes, add to soup, and stir gently; keep heating until soup warmed through.
• 10 ladle into serving bowls and garnish with any or all of the optional toppings.