Frugal Foodie Mama: Loaded Smashed Potato & Beer Soup

Friday, March 21, 2014

Loaded Smashed Potato & Beer Soup

This Loaded Smashed Potato Beer Soup has all the flavor of a traditional homemade baked potato soup, but is ready in half the time!
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I have always been a fan of homemade baked potato soup.
What I have not been a fan of is the actual baking of the potatoes.  I mean, it can take over an hour for them to bake & be done all the way through. 
And then you have to wait for them to cool enough to be able to handle them...
Ain't nobody got time for that! Especially on a busy weeknight, right? ;)

So, I had to find a tasty solution one busy, time crunched evening when I was just craving a good homemade baked potato soup.
Forget baked!  Let's do smashed potatoes! 
And while we are at it, let's throw a little beer in there.  I did say it is loaded smashed potato beer soup, didn't I? ;)

Of course, what really makes it a loaded smashed potato soup is all the yummy toppings- bacon, cheese, & sour cream.  You could throw some chives on yours as well.  We just are not big chive lovers in this family...
Loaded Smashed Potato & Beer Soup
by Frugal Foodie Mama
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients (6 servings)
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
  • 3 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium organic.)
  • 1 1/2 cups half & half (I used fat free.)
  • 12 oz beer (about 1 1/2 cups, I used Yuengling.)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 5-6 slices of bacon, cooked to your preference & then chopped
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Sour cream
Instructions
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil & butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
Add in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring the entire time.

Pour in the chicken broth, half & half, beer, and water. Add in the chopped potatoes.
Turn up the heat to high and bring the pot to a boil.
Continue boiling until the potatoes are fork tender, abut 15 minutes.
Bring the soup down to a simmer.

Using a potato masher, mash about half of the potatoes in the soup. Do this very slowly and carefully. You do not want to plunge the masher down into the hot liquid- ouch!
Season with the salt and pepper and continue to simmer 5-10 minutes more or until the soup has thickened slightly.
Taste test and add more salt & pepper, if needed.

Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite baked potato toppings- chopped bacon, sour cream, & shredded cheese.
Enjoy!
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This Loaded Smashed Potato Soup is creamy, comforting, super flavorful, and can even be low fat and healthy when you use low fat or fat free half & half, low sodium chicken broth, and take it easy on the loaded toppings.  

This has quickly become a new favorite with my family, and also with this busy mama.  

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