MICROWAVE-BAKED POTATO, BACON, CHIVE AND CHEESE SOUP MUGS
Give this hearty short-cut recipe a try when you’re craving warm comfort food. Your reward will be a classic home-style soup made fairly quickly and with almost no muss or fuss.
The microwave oven dramatically cuts traditional potato baking time, and it also “micro-fries” bacon strips in 2 1/2 minutes (with no skillet cleanup afterward).
The ingredients and bowl will get hot during cooking, so have a mitt handy for lifting them in and out of the microwave oven.
1 large (5 1/2- to 6-inch, about 12-ounce) baking potato, punctured through the middle with a thin knife
2 generous tablespoons unsalted
butter
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 slices bacon (do not use low-fat or
turkey bacon)
3 tablespoons chopped celery or
onion
1 1/2 cups flavorful low-sodium
chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon mustard, preferably
Dijon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh
chives, plus more for garnish 2 to 4 tablespoons shredded mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, for garnish
Place the potato on a paper plate. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes, then pierce it with the tines of a fork to check doneness. If it’s not quite done, microwave on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more. Cool slightly, then cut open the potato lengthwise. Add the butter; use a fork thoroughly mash it into the hot potato flesh. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels. Place the bacon on it, then scatter the celery or onion on top. Cover with a double thickness of paper towels. Microwave on HIGH 2 for minutes, then turn over the bacon; re-cover with the paper towels. Microwave on HIGH for 30 to 60 seconds; stopping to check frequently, until the bacon is browned and crisped. Let cool, then crumble the bacon on its paper towel.
Thoroughly stir together the broth, cornstarch, mustard and chives in a 1-quart glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the bacon and celery or onion.
Scrape the baked potato flesh from its skin (discard the skin); stir that into the bowl, to form a soup.
Microwave (uncovered) on HIGH for 2 1/2 minutes. Stir, then microwave for 1 minute more, or until the soup has thickened and is bubbling hot. Use an oven mitt to transfer the soup to a large (2 1/3-cup) mug or divide between two 1 1/4-cup mugs.
Scatter the cheese on top (to taste). Garnish with more chives, and serve. Serves 1 to 2 (makes 2 1/4 cups) Nutrition (using onion) Calories: 390;total fat: 24 g; saturated fat: 11 g; cholesterol: 50 mg; sodium: 920 mg; total carbohydrates: 35 g; dietary fiber: 4 g; sugars: 3 g; protein: 9 g.
From cookbook author Nancy Baggett.