Potato Leek Soup - Topped with Bacon & Cheese

 Last night little Mr. Jack Frost came to visit New England and he brought with him below zero temperatures. In his honor I made some hearty and near healthy Potato Leek Soup. I added some bacon and cheese to the soup making it more like a bowl full of loaded baked potato.
  If it was not for the use of bacon in this dish I could call it healthy Potato Leek Soup. Last night it was too cold for me to venture to the store to get turkey bacon to substitute for the real thing. However, having the real bacon does add such a better flavor to the soup.

NY Daily News

Potato Leek Soup
Serves 6

8- 10 Narragansett Potatoes Red or White (washed peeled and chopped to 1/2" pieces)
1 medium Yellow Onion chopped
3 Leeks chopped and rinsed very well
1 Celery rib chopped
16 oz. of Chicken Stock (low sodium/ no MSG)
1/2 cup of Dry White Wine
1 cup of  Munroe Dairy Low Fat Milk
1 cup of Cabot Light Sour Cream
2 tablespoons of Herbs d'Provence
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 Bay Leaf

 1/2 lb of Bacon
1 cup of Shredded Supreme Cheddar or Narragansett Creamery Cheese Atwell's Gold

 * Keep the chopped potatoes in a bowl of cold water on the counter while prepping the rest of your ingredients and strain before use. This will make the potatoes less starchy in the soup.

 Warm a 8 qt or larger stock pot on the stove at medium heat. Add the 1/2 lb of bacon to the pot, cover with a splatter screen and cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove from bottom and lay bacon on a paper towel to strain the grease. Pour the excess greases from the bottom of the pot into a safe container and not down the drain.
  Add the white wine to the remaining bacon grease to deglaze the pan of the bacon. Using a wooden spoon or spatula scrap the bottom of the pan loosening the bits of remaining bacon. Once finished add the onion, leeks, celery, potatoes, and bay leaf. Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables and the salt & pepper/ herbs d'Provence. Cover the pot and let simmer for 15- 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and be pierced easily with a fork or knife.
 Once the potatoes are cooked turn the heat on the stove burner off (removing the pot from the burner if necessary.) Add the milk and sour cream to the pot. Also if you have scraps from grating the cheese add them as well. Using an immersion blender in the pot puree the ingredients. If you do not have and immersion blender you can use a regular blender, (covering the top with a tea towel*) using a hand mixer, or potato masher.
  Top each serving of the soup with pieces of bacon (crumbled) and cheese.
Left over can be frozen in freezer safe container or in zip lock bags.

*When using your blender to mix warm ingredients never use the cover. The expansion of the ingredients will cause the top to blow off and cause a big mess in your kitchen. - Trust me I know from experience