This Creamy Baked Potato Soup is ultimate comfort food, combining soft potatoes and a creamy, luscious broth that’s flavored with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and tangy sour cream. It’s ideal for chilly evenings or anytime you need a warming, hearty plate. Add bacon and fresh chives to the top of each bowl for even more flavor and texture. Be it served as a main course or paired with a crispy salad, every morsel of this soup will warm your soul.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Rich and Creamy: Potatoes, butter, sour cream and cheese make for a velvety mouthfeel that you can’t resist.
Bacon Infused: Crispy bacon pieces work with a creamy base for crunch.
Crowd-Pleaser: Hearty enough to be a main dish, but also a great appetizer or side.
Simple Ingredients: This soup calls for pantry staples, so it’s a budget-friendly option that’s still packed with flavor.
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Key Ingredients:
Potatoes: This is best made with russet potatoes, which are high in starch, yielding a creamy texture. If you would rather have a chunkier soup, you can use Yukon Gold potatoes, which retain their shape better.
Bacon: For a slightly smokier flavor, use smoked bacon or pancetta. If you’re doing a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth.
Half-and-Half: Replace with heavy cream, if you prefer a richer soup, or whole milk if want to lighten it up some. Plant-based milks like almond or oat milk are fine, but still unsweetened ones.
Cheddar Cheese: Go with sharp cheddar for a more robust flavor or blend the cheddar with Gruyère for a touch of gourmet. Be sure to grate your cheese from a block; preshredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting into a silky sauce.
Full ingredients list with amounts and step-by-step can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Preparing The Ingredients
Grate the Cheese:
Shred 2 cups cheddar cheese from a block and reserve. Grating cheese from a solid block will also melt more fluidly than pre-shredded cheese.
Cook the Bacon:
For optional later baking or broiling, set the oven to 350°–400°F.
Slice 6 slices of bacon into 1-inch pieces.
Cook the bacon in a big pot or deep frying pan over low heat until crispy, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and reserve for garnish later.
Step 2: Cook the Potatoes
Peel and Cube the Potatoes:
Peel and cut 5 medium russet potatoes into chunks, 1 inch.
Put the cubed potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add ¾ teaspoon of salt.
Cook the Potatoes:
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes, and return them to the pot for later.
Step 3: Sauté Onion and Garlic
Sauté the Onion:
Leave 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the same pot used to cook the bacon.
Add 1 chopped onion and sauté it over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion gets soft and translucent.
Add the Garlic:
In it, add 2 cloves of minced garlic and continue cooking for 1–2 more minutes, until it’s fragrant, stirring often.
Step 4: Create the Roux
Add the Butter:
Add 3 tablespoons of butter and stir until it is completely melted.
Add the Flour:
Slowly sprinkle ¼ cup of all-purpose flour over the onions and garlic and stir constantly to combine.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring, to eliminate the taste of raw flour.
Step 5: Make the Soup Base
Add the Chicken Broth:
Gradually whisk 3 cups of chicken broth into the pot, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
For more flavor, scrape up any browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pot.
Add the Half-and-Half:
Whisk in 1 ½ cups of half-and-half. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, stirring every so often.
Step 6: Add the Potatoes and Sour Cream
Add the Potatoes:
Add the cooked potatoes back to the pot, stirring gently to combine them with the soup base.
Stir in the Sour Cream:
Stir in ½ cup sour cream, blending well, which makes the soup nice and creamy.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Start with half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper and adjust from there.
Step 7: Add the cheesy bits.
Add the Cheddar Cheese:
Gradually mix in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese; and with a constant stirring, until it melts making a smooth cheesy soup.
No further heating of the soup at this stage — heating can separate and make the cheese grainy.
Step 8: Serve and Garnish
Serve Hot:
Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
Garnish:
Finally, top each serving with the crispy bacon pieces you saved earlier, along with a sprinkle of chopped fresh chives.
For even more indulgence, you can add a little extra shredded cheddar cheese or a dollop of sour cream on top.
Serving Suggestions:
This Creamy Baked Potato Soup is hearty on its own, but serve it with a couple of sides, and you are in business:
Crusty Bread: A nice, warm crusty loaf of bread or some homemade garlic bread is great for dunking into the soup.
Green Salad: It’s nice to have a light, fresh salad with a simple vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the soup.
Grilled Cheese: The ultimate comfort food combination, serve the soup with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips:
Refrigerate: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of broth or milk if the soup thickens too much.
Freeze: You can freeze this soup, but note the texture of the potatoes may change a bit. To freeze, cool the soup, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Done to reheat; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
The Meal Prep Tip: You can cook the bacon and potatoes in advance to save time, and keep them in the fridge. When it’s time to turn the soup out, you can toss everything together in about 20 minutes.
Recipe Variations:
Vegetarian version: Omit the bacon and use vegetable broth for a meatless version of this soup.
Spicy Twist: Add cayenne pepper or a splash of hot sauce for some heat, or stir in pepper jack cheese for some extra punch.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Top with all your favorite baked potato fixings: chopped green onions, crunchy fried onions and even crumbled cooked sausage.
Conclusion:
This Creamy Baked Potato Soup is absolutely everything you could want in a comfort food: rich, filling, exploding with flavor. Whether you serve it as a main or with your favorite sides, it’s a sure winner. Plus, it’s easily customizable in case you have other ideas—so get creative!
Creamy Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes about 2 lbs
- ¾ tsp salt
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 ½ cups half-and-half (or milk)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- chopped chives optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Grate 2 cups of cheddar cheese and set aside. Cook 6 slices of bacon in a skillet until crispy, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Peel and cube 4 large russet potatoes.
- Place cubed potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add ¾ tsp salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until tender (15-20 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- In the same pot used to cook bacon, leave 2 tbsp of bacon drippings. Add 1 chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in 2 tbsp butter until melted, then gradually add ¼ cup of flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute to create a roux.
- Slowly add 3 ½ cups of chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Stir in 2 ½ cups of half-and-half and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the cooked potatoes back into the pot, followed by ¾ cup of sour cream. Stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Gradually fold in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until melted. Avoid overheating to prevent grainy texture.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy bacon, chopped chives, and additional cheddar cheese if desired.