Pierce the potatoes with a fork; bake for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly. Partially mash the potatoes, including the skins, with a potato masher; set aside.
Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble. Add the onion to bacon drippings in the pan, sautéing for about 5 minutes. Add the salt, garlic, and bay leaf; sauté 2 minutes. Add the the potato, milk, broth, cream and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, if desired.
Top individual servings with crumbled bacon, green onions and cheese.
Notes
I use the white-skinned potatoes for this recipe. Since you leave the skins on the potatoes, the soup tends to look a little dirty with brown-skinned potatoes. Or you can use different potatoes and just peel them first.
If preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use brands of chicken broth and bacon that are known to be GF.