Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Two months until graduation. The countdown is real now — not abstract, not aspirational, real. December 15, 2017. That's the date. That's the day Sarah Anne Mitchell walks across a stage and becomes something she wasn't before. Sixty-seven days. I counted. I'm counting every one.

The clinical hours are piling up. I need 150 total clinical hours to graduate and I'm at 138. Twelve more hours. Twelve more hours of real patients, real cleanings, real X-rays, real conversations with real people who sit in my chair and trust me with their mouths. Twelve hours between here and done. I can see the end of the tunnel and the light is shaped like a dental mirror and it's beautiful.

Community Dental Health class has been a revelation. This week we did an outreach event at a community center in East Nashville — free dental screenings for kids who've never seen a dentist. I looked at children's teeth and talked to their parents and handed out toothbrushes and I thought: this is what I want to do. Not just the cleaning. The going-to-them. The being-there when nobody else is. The showing-up in communities like the one I grew up in, where the dentist is a luxury and the toothbrush is the only defense.

A little girl at the screening — maybe six years old, missing two front teeth, a big grin — said, "Are you a real dentist?" I said, "Almost." She said, "When you're a real dentist, will you come back?" I said, "I promise." I don't know if I can keep that promise. But I'm going to try. Some promises are worth making even before you know how to keep them.

Amber called with wedding updates. The venue is booked — a barn in Chattanooga, because Amber wants "rustic chic" and I want to understand what "rustic chic" means but every time I ask, the definition involves words like "burlap" and "mason jars" and I nod knowingly and text Lorraine a confused emoji afterward. My maid-of-honor dress arrived. I tried it on. It fits. It's champagne-colored (I can now identify champagne from across a room) and it's the nicest thing in my closet by approximately one thousand percent.

I made a loaded baked potato soup this week — bacon, potatoes, cheddar, sour cream, chives, all in a thick, creamy broth that I eat by the bowlful while studying for the board exam. This soup is my study fuel. It's warm and heavy and it sits in your stomach like a hug and tells your brain, "You're fed. You're safe. Now learn the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis and get that degree." My soup believes in me. My soup is more supportive than most people.

So here’s the recipe for the soup that’s been getting me through board exam prep and twelve remaining clinical hours and maid-of-honor dress fittings and promises made to six-year-olds with big grins. It’s thick, it’s loaded with everything good, and it sits in your bowl like it has nowhere else to be—which is exactly the energy I need right now, sixty-seven days out from the rest of my life.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for topping

Instructions

Cook the bacon. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy, about 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pot.
Sauté the aromatics. Add the diced onion to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Build the base. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste out. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
Cook the potatoes. Add the cubed potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15–18 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
Thicken and cream. Using a potato masher, mash about half of the potatoes directly in the pot, leaving some chunks for texture. Stir in the milk and sour cream until well combined. Add 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar and stir until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Serve loaded. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, reserved crispy bacon, and fresh chives. Add an extra dollop of sour cream if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup — Study Fuel for the Final Countdown