Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus Baked Potato Soup

One upon a time, Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus Restaurants were all the rage. It was a great place to hang out, to go for drinks, maybe dance a little (back in the day when their lounge featured live music) and get a great steak dinner. The perfect “date” destination in its heyday.

One of my favorite dishes was their Teriyaki Steak, all sweet and topped with a beautiful grilled pineapple ring. And their Molten Lava cakes – out of this world! Black Angus was Brother Dear’s first real job. When Hubby and I were newly weds, we often stopped in for dinner, making it a point to send word back to the kitchen so that Brother Dear knew we were there. We had a contest of sorts with him. Hubby and I always started our meal with the same appetizers – the Buffalo Wings. The challenge was for Brother Dear to whip up a platter of wings that were too hot to eat. It was a game. Truth be told, there were times when I could barely handle the heat, but Hubby always managed to polish off whatever Brother Dear sent our way. How I miss those days, and Brother Dear.

This recipe (with a few modifications) is one of those Copy-Cat recipes that has been floating around the internet for a while. Just how genuine it is, I would not care to speculate. What I do know is this, the soup awesome – packed full of creamy goodness. And it would make a great base for other similar soups – add some carrots and celery. How about some shrimp? Or even a terrific base for creamy clam chowder. The possibilities are endless.

I served this soup with plenty of buttery, garlic infused crescent rolls and a simple salad. It made for a great, simple supper on a cold December night.

Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus Baked Potato Soup
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 Medium Onion, finely minced
3 tablespoons flour
1  can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
5 Medium Russet Potatoes, peeled
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup half-and-half
6 Strips Applewood Bacon, cooked crisp
2 Green onions, chopped
4 Tablespoons Sour Cream
Grated Cheddar Cheese, optional

Peel potatoes and cut into bite size cubes, about 1/2 inch. Set aside until ready to use.

In a stock pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the onions.

Sprinkle flour over the onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. This will create an onion infused roux, and will thicken to form a paste.

Gradually add chicken broth, stirring to dissolve onion paste.

Add potatoes, Tabasco Sauce, garlic and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and blend in remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to keep potatoes from sticking.

While soup is simmering, fry up bacon strips. Place on paper towels to drain, crumble and set aside. Chop green onions, set aside.

Once potatoes are fork-tender, stir in half and half; and heat through, about 5 minutes longer.

Ladle soup into bowls or large mugs. Pass the bacon, green onions and sour cream to garnish. Finish with cheddar cheese, if desired.