Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Printer View)

Creamy soup with baked potato chunks, crispy bacon, cheddar, and sour cream in a rich broth.

# Components:

→ Potatoes

01 - 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed

→ Dairy

02 - 1 cup sour cream
03 - 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
04 - 1 cup whole milk
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Meats

07 - 6 slices bacon

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

08 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Broth & Seasonings

11 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
13 - Salt, to taste
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Additional shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for serving
16 - Additional sour cream, for serving

# Method steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until tender. Allow to cool slightly, peel, then cut into ½-inch chunks.
02 - In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon, crumble, and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot, discard the rest.
03 - Add unsalted butter and diced onion to the reserved bacon fat in the pot. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add potato chunks, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, gently mashing some potatoes with a spoon to thicken the broth.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in whole milk, heavy cream, and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Fold in sour cream and half of the crumbled bacon. Heat gently without boiling.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining cheddar, crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant comfort food but takes just 50 minutes from start to finish.
  • The bacon fat does all the seasoning work for you, so there's no guessing about flavors.
  • You can eat it the same night you make it, or it becomes even creamier the next day.
02 -
  • Never add sour cream to a boiling soup or you'll end up with curdled specks floating everywhere; low heat and patience matter more than speed here.
  • Those potato chunks should feel soft enough to break with the back of a spoon when you finish simmering, not gummy or chalky.
  • The bacon fat is genuinely doing the seasoning work; if you skip it or go light, the soup tastes flat no matter what else you add.
03 -
  • Shred your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded; it melts into actual creaminess instead of turning slightly grainy.
  • The potato pieces should break apart easily when you press them, which tells you they're cooked through and ready to help thicken the broth naturally.
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