Potato Soup Recipe-Panera Copy Cat

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite things about this time of the year is all the yummy comfort food we get to eat-

 

like potato soup! 

 

 

For a long time I never made it because it appeared to be difficult to make, but THEN one day a friend of mine gave me recipe that looked like something I could tackle so I made a batch. It turned out good but I tweaked it a bit and now I want to share it with you.  

 

It is super easy to make and you will LOVE it!

 

 

Ingredients: 

• 5-6 peeled, washed, and chopped up russet potatoes
• 1 jar of soft bacon pieces
• 1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 large box and one regular size can, or 4 cans, of chicken broth
• 1/2 of a white onion diced/sliced

 

 

...............and drum roll please................

the secret ingredient is 2 blocks of cream cheese!

 

 

 

 Pour your chicken stock into a large stock pot,

add chopped up potatoes (peeled, washed, and chopped)

 

 

Now add your onion, a dash of s&p

and bring to a boil to soften the potatoes.

  

 

 

Once the potatoes START to soften (they don't need to be fully soft yet to move on)

then stir in one block of cream cheese.

 

With the mixture at a soft boil, stir it in completely until the entire block is dissolved and the broth looks smooth.

 

See how the block of cream cheese dissolves in chunks?

You will need to stir until your broth is creamy and smooth.

 

Now add your second block and do the same.

 

Once both blocks of cream cheese have dissolved, your potatoes and onion should now be soft and your mixture should look similar to this:

 

 

Now add in the jar of bacon pieces........

 

and it smells yummy!

 

Let the soup continue to simmer and stir frequently to check the potatoes and keep them from getting mushy.

 

After about another 15 min of simmering on a low boil you are done and your soup is ready to serve!

 

Serve your soup in a bowl and top with the shredded cheddar cheese and more bacon pieces.

We like ours served with a French baguette from the grocery store.

 

Just like the baguette that Panera serves with their potato soup. 

 

And the secret ingredient to getting a nice creamy soup broth is the cream cheese!

 

The more cream cheese you add, the thicker and richer it will get, so I like to stop at two blocks per 4 cans of broth.  

 

See. I told you it was super easy and SO good!!!! 

 

 

 

 

Bon Appetite!!!!

 

 

Jennifer

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