America's Best Baked Potato Soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes. Poke several times with the tines of a fork to pierce the skin. Place in oven directly on the oven rack and bake for one hour or until done. Set aside to cool. When potatoes are cool, peel and slice crosswise.

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon in a single layer until crisp. Remove the bacon to paper toweling to drain. Reserve the drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until soft. Stir in the flour and mix well. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly stir the chicken broth into the roux in the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbly.

Stir in the sliced potatoes, half and half, parsley, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Do not let the soup boil.

Stir in one cup of the Cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of the green onions. Cook, stirring, until the cheese melts.

Serve the soup in individual bowls topped with crumbled bacon, and the remaining shredded cheese and sliced green onions.

Recipe Source: adapted from America's Best Recipes