Bacon and caramelized onion chowder

This soup turned out pretty good, would be awesome on a cold winter night. It basically is baked potato soup with a caramelized onion base. The onions really make the soup pop with flavor, nice sweetness to go with the potatoes. Here is the recipe, courtesy of the Costco in the kitchen cook book. I tweaked it a little to make it a tad easier, not that it was hard, but who doesn't want cooking to be easy?

3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jumbo sized sweet onion, peeled and vertically sliced (I used 1 1/2 medium white onions)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 package diced potatoes
3/4 cup cooked bacon (I used about 8 slices of fresh cooked bacon)
2 ounces of cream cheese, cubed
3 cups whole milk
Sour cream for garnish
 chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

*Set a 3-quart stock pot on medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil; stir in onions and saute until lightly browned and caramelized (about 10-15 minutes). Remove onions and set aside.
*Add carrots and 1 tablespoon of butter to pot and saute until carrots are tender, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and saute until slightly browned. Stir in onions and bacon.
*Reduce heat to medium; add cream cheese, stir until melted. Add milk and cook, gently stirring, until soup begins to thicken.
*Serve with a dollop of sour cream, parsley and cheddar cheese.
**Makes 6-8 servings