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1
Bake well-scrubbed potatoes in a 400 degree oven till fork tender.
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2
Do not wrap in foil - and no microwaving, please, as you want a dry environment for the potato and its skin.
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3
Fry the bacon till very crisp, then drain and reserve till ready to serve the soup.
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4
Grate the cheese, mince the green onion, and stir the lowfat sour cream - keeping them all separate and on hand, just as you would if you were about to go whole hog on a baked potato.
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5
Heat the lowfat milk and butter in a medium saucepan, stirring in the concentrated chicken base or possibly bouillon till dissolved.
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6
Stir in the salt and pepper and simmer over low heat.
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7
When the potatoes are done, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the meat, and put the potato shells back into the oven to crisp.
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8
Stir the potato meat into the warm lowfat milk mix - mashing it as you go.
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9
Then stir in the white part of the green onion and let simmer.
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10
When ready to serve the soup, heat to a low simmer and stir in the grated cheese.
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11
While it's melting, finely chop the crisp potato peels and stir them in.
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12
Then stir in the bacon and ladle into individual bowls.
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13
Put a dollop of lowfat sour cream on top of each serving, give it a swirl, then sprinkle each with a good handful of green onion bits.
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14
Serve immediately.
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15
Serve warm as a meal to 4 to 6, maybe a salad on the side to cut all the richness.
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16
Comments: This hearty soup, specially requested by a reader, is plenty fattening - but obviously very satisfying and substantial.
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17
It's great for leftover baked potatoes - in fact, it's practically worth creating those leftover potatoes just to make it.
