Creamy Baked Potato Soup (Printer version)

Rich, creamy soup with russet potatoes, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, and fresh chives.

# 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

# Directions:

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 comes together in under 45 minutes, so you can go from craving to comfort without hours of waiting.
  • The texture is naturally chunky but creamy—no blending required if you don't want it, but the option is there.
  • Bacon makes everything better, and this soup proves it by being deeply savory without tasting heavy.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of draining your potatoes completely—excess water will dilute your soup and make it taste thin no matter how much cheese you add.
  • The sour cream needs to go in after you've turned down the heat, because high heat will cause it to break and get grainy, which ruins the silky texture you've worked toward.
03 -
  • Cook your bacon first and set it aside so it stays crispy instead of getting soggy in the finished soup—the crunch is essential to the whole experience.
  • Use sharp cheddar, not mild, because you need actual cheese flavor to cut through all that cream, and sharp has the personality to stand up to the other strong flavors like bacon and sour cream.
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