Description

This creamy baked potato soup combines tender russet potatoes with crispy bacon, sautéed onions, and rich cheddar cheese, creating a comforting and hearty dish perfect for chilly days. The soup features a smooth texture achieved by gently mashing potatoes and optionally blending the soup, balanced with savory flavors and garnished with fresh chives and bacon bits.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Potatoes and Broth

4 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Bacon and Aromatics

6 slices thick cut bacon
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons butter

Thickening and Dairy

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 cup chives, finely diced

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Instructions

Prep Ingredients: Shred the cheddar cheese from a block, and measure out the sour cream and half and half. Let them all come to room temperature to improve melting and blending in the soup.
Cook Bacon: Cut bacon into 1-inch squares and cook in a large pot over low heat, stirring occasionally until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pot.
Boil Potatoes: Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place in a pot and cover with 1 inch of water, add salt, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain and gently mash; set aside.
Sauté Aromatics: In the pot with bacon drippings, cook diced onion over medium heat until softened (~5 minutes). Add minced garlic and butter, cook for 1 additional minute.
Make Roux and Add Broth: Whisk in flour and stir continuously for 1 minute to remove raw flour taste. Slowly add chicken broth while stirring, scraping bacon bits from the bottom to incorporate flavor.
Add Dairy and Simmer: Gradually add half and half, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer gently.
Combine Potatoes and Seasonings: Stir in mashed potatoes, sour cream, and black pepper. Remove from heat.
Optional Blending: For a creamier soup, blend partially or fully using an immersion blender or regular blender in batches.
Add Cheese: Gradually sprinkle in shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted smoothly. Ensure soup base is not too hot to avoid clumping.
Finish and Serve: Garnish with chopped chives and reserved crispy bacon pieces. Serve hot immediately.

Notes

Use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese or similar for best melt and flavor; avoid pre-shredded bagged cheeses that contain anti-caking agents.
You can substitute milk for half and half, but expect a thinner broth. Warm milk before adding to reduce curdling risk.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
This recipe is featured in The Cozy Cookbook on page 36.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup (approximately)
Calories: 280
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 650mg
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 10g
Cholesterol: 55mg