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 Sausage Potato Soup recipes next!

A wooden spoon scooping up baked potato soup topped with bacon and chives.

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. 

Uncooked bacon in a pot next to uncooked diced potatoes in a pot.

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.

Mashed potatoes in a pot next to a pot with cooked diced onions and garlic.

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.

A soup pot with creamy broth for baked potato soup next to a pot with mashed potatoes being added to the broth.

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.

Adding shredded chicken to broth, next to a pot filled with baked potato soup with chives and bacon.

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.

A white bowl with a spoon scooping up baked potato soup topped with bacon and chives.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 4-Quart Dutch Oven– This is the perfect size for this soup. This one is high quality and you’ll have it forever. (I use one almost every time I cook!)
  • Box cheese grater – I always shred cheese from a block in my recipes. It melts and tastes better than packaged shredded cheese.
  • Garlic Twister– it’s much more flavorful to mince fresh garlic. This twister does it in seconds and is easy to clean and store.
  • Soup Bowls –(I love these!)
  • 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

Try These Next

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A close up view of a spoon and a white bowl with thick and creamy baked potato soup.

Tried This Recipe?

Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Close up view of a spoon scooping up creamy baked potato soup topped with bacon and chives.

Baked Potato Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
4.97 from 132 ratings
Servings: 8 people
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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!

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

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.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 968mg, Potassium: 729mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 756IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 317mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie