Bacon: 

1. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper or foil. Add bacon (leave 1 piece aside) in single layer strips. 
2. Place sheet try in the cold oven. Turn on oven to 400 degrees. Set timer for 10 minutes (you want the bacon to come to temperature with the oven but you can start the timer as soon as you turn on the oven). After 10 minutes, flip the bacon and bake for an additional ten minutes. Place bacon on paper towel and set aside. 

Stove Top Method:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add single strip of bacon (we want some bacon fat for our soup, but frying all pieces of bacon will create quite a mess and we only need about 1 tsp of bacon fat)! Cook fully, flipping every 45 seconds to cook both sides. Remove bacon and set aside. 
2. In soup pot with bacon fat add butter (if you are not using bacon fat, add 1 TBS oil). Once heated, add celery and onion. Sauté for three minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the cubed potatoes. All to sauté with veggies for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken stock (the stock should cover the potatoes). Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are easily pierced through with a fork).
4. Add mascarpone cheese, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
5. Turn off heat from stove. Take a potato masher or immersion blender and lightly mash potatoes.
6. In a high capacity blender blend half the soup. Please remember not to put the lid fully on the blender with hot liquid in it! Use a loose dish towel to cover the top of the blender. (You can also just continue to use the immersion blender to your preferred creaminess). 
7. Stir in cheese and fresh dill.
8. Serve with crumbled bacon, sour cream and additional cheddar cheese. 

Instant Pot Method:

1. Scrub potatoes and peel. Cube potatoes. Add to instant pot along with 1/2 cup water. Move valve to Sealing and set on high pressure for 5 minutes. 
2. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add single strip of bacon (we want some bacon fat for our soup, but frying all pieces of bacon will create quite a mess and we only need about a tsp of bacon fat. See above for cooking the rest of the bacon in the oven)! Cook fully, flipping every 45 seconds to cook both sides. Remove bacon and set aside. 
3. To the soup pot with the bacon fat add butter.
4. Once heated, add celery and onion. Sauté for three minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Remove potatoes from IP and add them to the soup pot and allow to sauté with veggies for about 3 minutes. 
6. Add stock, mascarpone cheese, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. 
7. Turn off heat from the stove. Take a potato masher and lightly mash potatoes. In a high capacity blender blend half the soup. Please remember not to put the lid fully on the blender with hot liquid in it! Use a loose dish towel to cover the top of the blender.
8. Stir in cheese and fresh dill. Mix to combine.
9. Serve with crumbled bacon, sour cream and additional cheddar cheese.