This Creamy Baked Potato Soup is the ultimate comfort food — creamy and luscious, it’s made with tender potatoes and a broth enhanced with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and sharp sour cream. It’s perfect for cool nights or whenever you want a warming, hearty plate. Top each bowl with bacon and fresh chives for extra flavor and texture. Served as a main dish — or with a crisp salad alongside — each bite of this soup will warm your heart.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Rich and Creamy: Potatoes, butter, sour cream and cheddar contribute to that heavenly velvety mouthfeel.
Bacon Infused: Crispy bacon bits for a creamy base for texture.
Happy Crowd: Hearty enough to be a main, but equally good as an appetizer or side.
Simple Ingredients: This soup uses pantry staples, so it’s a cheap meal that is also 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:
Spoon hot soup into bowls.
Garnish:
And finally, finish each portion with the reserved crispy bacon bits from earlier and a scattering of chopped fresh chives.
If you want even more decadence, top with a bit of additional shredded cheddar cheese or a spoonful of sour cream.
Serving Suggestions:
This Creamy Baked Potato Soup can stand on its own, but pair it with a few sides and you’ve got yourself a business:
Crusty Bread: A good warm crusty loaf of bread or some homemade garlic bread is perfect for dunking into the soup.
Green salad: It’s nice to have a light, fresh green salad with a simple vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the soup.
Grilled Cheese: The classic combination, pair the soup with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips:
Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove on low heat, adding a splash of broth or milk if the soup gets too thick.
Freeze: You can freeze this soup, though be warned the texture of the potatoes could change slightly. 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: Load it up 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 everything you could want in a comfort food: rich, satisfying, flavor-packed. Be it for a main, or to accompany your favorite sides, it’s a sure win. Also, it’s easily customizable if you have other thoughts — so be 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.