This Baked Potato Soup has a thick and creamy broth that’s loaded with bacon and chives, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and smooth potatoes. It’s the ultimate comfort food and so easy to make!
Be sure to try my Cream of Broccoli and Potato Leek Soup recipes next!
Baked Potato Soup
Welp, this should have been the first recipe that I ever made on the blog. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and quite possibly my new all-time favorite soup recipe. (And I’m critical when it comes to my soups.)
I love that it encompasses everything that I love about a loaded baked potato. Bacon, chives, cheese, butter, the works.
I have some handy PRO Tips that you’ll want to check out too, but first take a look at how easy it is to make:
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cut the bacon into squares and cook low and slow until crisp. Meanwhile, submerge diced russet potatoes in 1 inch of water. Add salt and boil gently for about 20 minutes or until fork tender.
Drain the potatoes. Gently mash and set aside.
Leave 1 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pot. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Stir in flour, mix and cook for 1 full minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
Add the chicken broth, then the half and half. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add the potatoes. Mix in the sour cream and some pepper.
Remove from heat. If desired, blend with an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender in batches. (I prefer to do this for a creamier and smoother consistency.)
Gradually sprinkle in the shredded cheese. Stir until combined. Add the bacon and chives and serve! Note that the soup will continue to thicken as it stands.
Pro Tips
- Cheese: Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese is my brand of choice as it has great flavor and melts smoothly. Aged/crystalized cheese won’t melt well, aim for a soft consistency!
- Avoid using bagged shredded cheese, as it contains cellulose which prevents the cheese from melting smoothly.
- Milk may be used instead of half and half, just note that the broth won’t be quite as thick. Microwave the milk for 45 seconds prior to adding it to avoid curdling.
- Plain Greek Yogurt can be used instead of sour cream..
- Cook the potatoes separately in water instead of in the soup. It’s not only a time saver as they can cook while the bacon cooks, but it also removes a bit of excess starch which prevents the soup from becoming gluey.
- If preferred, you can use an immersion blender to further blend the soup. It will appear thinner at first, but will continue to thicken upon standing. (Get one on Amazon here.)
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 36!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, equal to 2 lbs.
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 6 slices thick cut bacon
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 ½ cups Chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/8 cup chives, finely diced
Instructions
Prep Work
- Shred the cheese from a block, measure out the sour cream and half and half. Let them all sit out at room temperature.
Cooking Instructions
- Cut the bacon into 1-inch squares with kitchen shears. Cook in a large pot over low heat, rotating occasionally. They’ll overlap at first but will shrink down as they cook. Remove and set aside once crisp. Leave 2 Tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
- While the bacon cooks, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Add to a stock pot and cover the potatoes with 1 inch of water. Add the salt and boil gently for 20 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain, then gently mash. Set aside.
- Add the diced onion to the pot with the bacon drippings and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and butter and cook 1 more minute.
- Whisk in flour, use a silicone spatula to stir as the flour cooks for 1 full minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add the chicken broth. Use a silicone spatula to loosen any bacon remnants from the bottom of the pot, this will add flavor.
- Slowly add the half and half. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Stir in the potatoes, then mix in the sour cream, and pepper.
- Remove from heat. If desired, blend with an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender in batches. (I prefer to do this for a creamier and smoother consistency.)
- Gradually sprinkle with shredded cheese and stir until combined. Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot or the cheese won’t melt creamy and smooth. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
- Garnish with chives and bacon, serve!
Notes
- Cheese: Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese is my brand of choice as it has great flavor and melts smoothly. Aged/crystalized cheese won't melt well, aim for a soft consistency!
- Avoid using bagged shredded cheese, as it contains cellulose which prevents the cheese from melting smoothly.
- Milk may be used instead of half and half, just note that the broth won’t be quite as thick. Microwave the milk for 45 seconds prior to adding it to avoid curdling.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 36!
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
This recipe makes about 2.5 quarts of soup, or 10 cups. Each serving is just over a cup.
If I’m using leftover mashed potatoes in the soup, are the amounts of sour cream, half and half, or butter any different? This was a suggestion on the mashed potato recipe, to use leftovers in this soup recipe. The mashed potatoes already contain some of the soup ingredients, so I wasn’t sure if I needed to alter the recipe/ingredients any?
Hi Crystal! I would still use the butter, and maybe use 1/2 cup of sour cream instead of 3/4 if your mashed potatoes already have sour cream! ❤️
Thank you! Would I still use 2cups of half and half also? Or would you cut that some too?
You’ll follow the rest of the recipe as outlined, half and half included 🙂
Seemed so simple. It surpassed my expectations. So delicious, so easy will 100% make again!!!
I’m so happy to hear that Sophie! Nice work, thanks so much for the great review!🩷
I’ve made this twice in two weeks! Soo delicious 😋
I’m SO happy to hear that Cheri!! Thank you so much!!
This soup is AMAZING. I made this last night with the no knead bread and it was the perfect Sunday fall meal. I had leftovers for lunch, and will be sad tomorrow when the leftovers are gone! I used yellow flesh potatoes instead of russet, and garnished with green onions instead of chives because that’s what I had. Delicious! Will definitely make this again 🙂
I am sooo happy that the potato soup and No Knead Bread were a HIT Rachel!! I know exactly what you mean about being sad when leftovers are gone, LOL. I love that you used green onions on top too, those are WAY too good with this soup! Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie 🙂
Excellent 👌👍 flavors
Yayyy! Thanks Patricia!🩷
I always resort to this recipe. My daughter loves potato soup and this is always a big hit. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that Evy!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review too, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie