Loaded Baked Potato

Ingredients:

• 4 medium russet potatoes
• 6-8 slices of bacon
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup yellow onion
• All Purpose Flour - a little less than 1/3 cup (maybe a 1/4 cup)
• 2 cups of low fat milk
• 1 cup of half and half
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon of kocher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of sharp chedder - grated
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• Fresh chives for garnish

Directions:

• Pierce the potatos multiple times with a fork.  Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes, let cool.  Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and cut into chunks.
• Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.  Reserve up to 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan, discarding the rest.  Once the bacon has cooled, crumble it into small pieces.
• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Add the reserved bacon fat, garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion is tender.  Slowly whisk the flour into the pot and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk and half and half.  Keep whisking until smooth.  Gradually add the chicken stock.  Bring to a light simmer and whisk in the kosher salt, garlic salt and pepper.  Keep at a light simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, 5 to 7 munites.
• Stir in the 1 and 1/2 cups of cheese and the sour cream.  Remove the pot from the heat.  Scoop potato chucks into the pot, breaking them into small pieces or leaving them chunky, depending on your preference.  Serve hot, topping with your favorite garnishes , like cheese, bacon and chives.