CopyCat Bennigan’s Potato Soup (Easy Home Version)

Ingredients

3 pounds starchy baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 ounce size) chicken broth
3 cups low-fat milk or whole milk
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste

Toppings:
shredded Colby cheese, garnish (optional)
crumbled bacon, garnish (optional)
chopped scallions, garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Poke potatoes with a fork several times and bake 1 hour or until tender when pierced.

Let cool slightly, and when you can touch them without burning your fingers, peel potatoes.

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat.

Add onions and garlic, cover and let sweat 10 minutes, or until soft but not brown.

Add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash using a potato masher right in the pot.

Add chicken broth, milk, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Raise the heat slightly to bring mixture to a low simmer (bubbles forming under the surface, but not a boil), stirring occasionally.

Chop remaining potatoes into small cubes, add to soup, and stir gently; keep heating until soup warmed through.

Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with any or all of the optional toppings.