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By Monica              8 1-1/2 cup servings

This is a delicious soup that you can make with baked potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes. It tastes too rich and creamy to be low in calories and fat.

Ingredients

• 4 baking potatoes--approx 2-1/2 lbs; OR 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 2/3 cup flour
• 6 cups 2% milk
• 1 cup low-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt (if using mashed potatoes that have been seasonal already, reduce amount of salt added)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup low-fat sour cream (or sour cream substitute made from cottage cheese*)
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions

--If baking the potatoes, pierce them with a fork and bake at 400 degree for approx. 1 hour, until tender. Let them cool enough to peel, then roughly mash them. OR, use leftover mashed potatoes.
--Add flour to large pot or Dutch oven. Slowly whisk milk into the flour--keep stirring until it's blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to thicken (8-10 minutes). Add the mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is completely melted.
--Stir in the sour cream and 1/2 cup green onions.
--Garnish bowls of soup with sprinkles of green onions, shredded cheese, and bacon.
VARIATIONS:
--Stir in a favorite fresh herb like dill or thyme.
--Add 1-2 cups of chopped ham (omit the bacon garnish).
--Add clams to turn it into a quick clam chowder.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for a 1-1/2 cup serving without garnishes:
--using light sour cream: 264 calories, 8.2g fat, 35.3g carbs, 10.7g sugars, 3g fiber, 12.5g protein.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 7
--using sour cream substitute (made from cottage cheese): 249 calories, 5.1g fat, 35g carbs, 10.7g sugar, 3g fiber, 15.5g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6
--If you garnish your bowl of soup with one crumbled slice of crispy bacon, it adds 31 calories, 2.4g fat,.1g carbs, 0g fiber, 2.1g protein; and 1 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

*recipe for sour cream substitute made from cottage cheese at: www.theyummylife.com/Healthy_Sour_Cream_Substitute

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Hi, I'm Monica... Thanks for stopping by! This is a place to chat about the good things in life with a focus on fun, easy, healthy recipes and an occasional yummy splurge thrown in. Read more about The Yummy Life