Pretty Potato Soup

Ingredients
5-1/4 pounds baking potatoes
7 bacon slices
4-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
7-1/2 cups 1& low-fat milk
3/4 tsp black pepper
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1-1/4 cups sliced green onions
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) finely reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
...
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400F for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly. Partially mash potatoes, including skins, with a potato masher; set aside.
3. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Add onion to bacon drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add salt, garlic, and bay leaf; sauté 2 minutes. Add potato, milk, pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. stir in parsley, if desired. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with bacon, green onions, and cheese. Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup, about 1 tsp bacon, about 1 Tbsp green onions, and about 1 Tbsp cheese)
CALORIES 237 (30% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 3.5g, mono 3.1g, poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 10.5g; CARB 31.8g; FIBER 3.1g; CHOL 15mg; IRON 2mg, SODIUM 394mg; CALC 228mg