Baked Potato Chowder

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This recipe comes to us from Geekbearinggifts, a loyal reader of SDR.  We were chatting about Oven-Fried Bacon the other day when Geek shared how to use it in Baked Potato Chowder.  Of course, I needed the recipe.

Geekbearinggifts' Baked Potato Chowder

• 8 medium Baking Potatoes
• 1 cup Sweet Onions, chopped
• 1 cup Carrots, chopped (optional)
• 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 6 cups Chicken Broth (low-sodium preferred) or an equivalent amount of chicken base and water
• 12 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 2 tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 2-3 cloves Garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon Salt (eliminate if not using low-sodium broth, then season completed chowder to taste)
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground Pepper

TOPPINGS:

• 1½ cups or more Cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ cup or more Green Onions, sliced
• 8 slices or more Bacon, crumbled
• Hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Tapatio (optional)

Wash potatoes; prick several times with a fork. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour or until tender; let cool. Peel potatoes and cut into rustic chunks.

Meanwhile, slice bacon cross-wise into ½” slices, and cook in a large, heavy pot until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pot. Crumble bacon a little more if desired, and set aside or freeze for garnish.

Cook onion and carrot in bacon drippings, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. Add flour, stirring well. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in potatoes, evaporated milk, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring often (do not boil.) Adjust seasonings if needed.

At this point chowder can be frozen If desired: cool and freeze in meal-size containers, leaving room for expansion. Attach zipper bags of shredded cheese and bacon to the cooled chowder containers. For frozen chowder, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently, stirring often.

Serve with shredded cheese, green onions, and bacon for topping. Season with hot sauce as desired.

About 12 servings

GEEK'S COOKING NOTES
I usually cook extra potatoes when baking them for another meal, or put the potatoes in while baking a casserole--saves energy, and they have plenty of time to cool before I get started with the chowder. I usually cook a whole package of bacon and save the rest for another use, discarding all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings before proceeding with the chowder. Turkey bacon is good in this. I sometimes add frozen corn or canned niblet corn to this for potato-corn chowder—add when you add the potatoes and seasonings.

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