Creamy Baked Potato Soup (Printable)

Rich and velvety soup with tender potatoes, bacon, cheddar, and fresh chives for warming comfort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Potatoes

01 - 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

→ Meats

02 - 6 slices bacon, chopped

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving

→ Soup Base

06 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 3 cups whole milk
08 - 1 cup chicken broth
09 - 1 cup sour cream

→ Cheese

10 - 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving

→ Seasonings

11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add diced potatoes and cook for 12–15 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.
02 - In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
03 - Add diced onion to the bacon grease and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
04 - Sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly to form a roux. Cook for 2 minutes.
05 - Gradually whisk in milk and chicken broth, stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
06 - Add cooked potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, gently mashing some potatoes in the pot for a chunkier texture.
07 - Lower heat and stir in sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. Cook until cheese is fully melted and soup is creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with reserved bacon, extra cheddar, and fresh chives. Serve warm with crusty bread or toasted baguette slices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours simmering when it's actually done in under 45 minutes from start to table.
  • The bacon-and-cheddar combo hits different when you mash some potatoes into the broth and let the cheese melt into every spoonful.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully for those moments when you need fast comfort food.
02 -
  • Never add the sour cream at a rolling boil or it will curdle and separate into streaks—lower the heat and fold it in gently, then let it warm through slowly.
  • If your soup looks too thin after adding the potatoes, you can either simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes to let liquid evaporate, or mash more potatoes into the broth to release their starch.
03 -
  • Save a spoon of the starchy potato cooking water before you drain the pot; if your soup ends up too thick, a splash of that water helps it loosen without diluting flavor the way extra broth might.
  • Fresh cracked pepper finishes the bowl better than pre-ground because it has more aroma and presence, especially scattered on top where you taste it first.
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