The Disney Dish: Celebrating Fall with Carnation Cafe Baked Potato Soup

If you know me, you know that I love a good party. And there’s nothing quite like celebrating Halloween. This year, I hosted a party that was themed to the dearly departed Mickey’s Halloween party. I made all sorts of Disneyland goodies for the party, but one of the top hits was my copycat recipe of Carnation Cafe’s Baked Potato Soup. I can’t wait to share this recipe with you below!

My Mickey’s Main Street Halloween Party

After so much heartbreak last year with the parks closed for so long, my friends and I have taken every opportunity to enjoy some Disney magic and even make our own when we can. For my party, I decorated my yard like Main Street and had plenty of festive decorations.

 

I asked my guests to come dressed as their favorite Disney character or to wear their traditional Disneyland outfits. 

The menu included items that you can get on Main Street such as fried chicken and Mickey waffles from Plaza Inn, Baked Potato soup from Carnation Cafe (the same one you’ll be making at the end of the article!) and sandwiches and chips from Jolly Holiday.

The desserts were cake pops, churro toffee, pumpkin fudge and Mickey sugar cookies which can all be found at Candy Palace or Jolly Holiday.

One of my former Girl Scouts, who is a barista at Starbucks, made Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Cinderella Lattes for my guests. There was even fresh fruit to represent the fruit stand and bottles of Dasani water (just like Disneyland!). I got cafeteria-style trays from the Dollar Tree and made utensil packets for ease of dining.

I made the Mickey ghost lanterns from paper lanterns and fabric from the 99 cent store. I had a lounge area, lots of pumpkins and made the floral arrangements myself.

My oldest son was dressed as a Photopass photographer and took guests’ photos in front of the inflatable Mickey pumpkin on my front lawn before they joined the party. It was truly a magical event!

Disneyland Carnation Cafe Baked Potato Soup Copycat Recipe

I hope that seeing my Mickey’s Main Street Halloween party has inspired you. And now onto one of the favorite dishes of the evening, my copycat Carnation Cafe Baked Potato Soup!

Ingredients

• • 4 potatoes, scrubbed
  • 8 bacon slices
  • 4 tbsp unsalted
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup yellow onion
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp garlic salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup mild cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • fresh chopped chives for garnish

Instructions

• • Pierce the potatoes multiple times with a fork, then microwave them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender.* Carefully halve the potatoes and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and cut into chunks.
    
    
  • Meanwhile, 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 pan 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 minutes.
    
    
  • If you’d like to use cheeses and bacon as a garnish, reserve 1/4 cup of each. Stir in the remaining cheeses, remaining bacon, and the sour cream. Remove the pot from the heat. Scoop potato chunks into the pan, breaking them into small pieces or leaving them chunky, depending on your preference. Serve hot, topped with your favorite garnishes, like cheese, bacon and chives. I served mine from a crockpot to keep the soup warm.
    
    

 

Notes

*If desired, you can bake your potatoes in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake the potatoes directly on the rack for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

 

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