Debo's Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I usually post about history related to one of the ingredients in the recipe. 

However, today I decided to go outside the box.  Change the pace.

Although Betty Crocker was never a real person, her name and identity have become synonymous with helpfulness, trustworthiness and quality.  It began when a promotion for Gold Medal flour offered customers a pin cushion resembling a flour sack if they correctly completed a jigsaw puzzle of a milling scene.  The company received thousands of responses and a flood of questions about baking.

“Betty Crocker” was created as a signature to personalize the responses to those inquiries. The surname Crocker was chosen to honor a popular, recently retired director of the company, William G Crocker. Betty was chosen simply as a friendly sounding name. Female employees were invited to submit sample Betty Crocker signatures, the one judged most distinctive is the basis for the one still in use today.

The company expanded its commitment by sponsoring cooking schools across the country. In 1924, the company launched a radio show. Later named “The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air”, the broadcast became one of the longest running shows in radio history. The demand for information necessitated the hiring of 21 home economists.  They were hired to test recipes. This was the start of the Betty Crocker kitchen.

The Betty Crocker kitchen has changed a lot over the years. The newest kitchen opened in 2003. Consist of 19 fully equipped kitchens. It is easier for home economists to test more than 50,000 recipes a year.

Click here to view photos of Betty Crocker over the years.

Research Source: General Mills

 
This soup taste just like a baked potato. 

Debo’s Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Copyright 2013, Debo, Christine’s Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 pound thick cut bacon

5 large potatoes, unpeeled and cubed

1 medium onion, chopped and sauteed

1 tablespoon butter

4 cups beef broth

1 half pint heavy cream

2 tablespoons chives

4 ounces sour cream

1 cup Italian style cheese blend

black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with tin foil. Place bacon on sheet pan. Bake until crisp, about 12 minutes. Bacon not crisp enough, place bacon under broiler for couple minutes.

Place potatoes in large pot, cover with water. Season water with salt. Cook until fork tender. Drain. Set aside in colander.

In the same pot, add 1 cup potatoes, butter, 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Mash potatoes using a potato masher. Add remaining potatoes, add beef broth, and stir well. Add sauteed onions and bacon, stir well. Add generous amount black pepper, chives, remaining sour cream, remaining heavy cream and cheese, and stir well. Simmer 15 minutes. Enjoy!