Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Easy & Creamy!)

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup sour cream
2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Extra bacon, cheddar, sour cream and green onions, for serving

Instructions

Add the chopped bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until crispy.
Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tbsp bacon fat in the pot.
Add the butter and onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion is soft.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for about 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring as you go so the flour blends smoothly into the broth instead of forming tiny flour dumplings nobody requested.
Stir in the milk, potatoes, salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot. Don’t go completely bananas here. We want thick, creamy soup with plenty of potato chunks still hanging around.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sour cream.
Add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more.
Stir most of the crispy bacon and green onions into the soup, saving some for the top.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheddar, bacon, green onions and a dollop of sour cream.

Variations

Use russet potatoes: Their high starch content naturally helps thicken the soup and gives you that fluffy baked-potato texture without actually having to bake the little bastards first.
Mash, don’t blend: Mashing only some of the potatoes thickens the soup while leaving plenty of chunks. Blending potatoes too aggressively can release too much starch and take your soup from creamy to wallpaper paste.
Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking ingredients that can keep it from melting as smoothly. Freshly shredded cheddar gives you a much silkier soup.
Turn down the heat before adding the cheese: Boiling the soup after adding cheddar can make the cheese separate or turn grainy. Low and slow wins this particular argument.
Want it even thicker?: Mash a few more potatoes before adding the sour cream and cheese rather than dumping in more flour.
Want it thinner?: Add a splash of chicken broth or milk until it’s exactly where you want it. Potato soup is extremely forgiving.
Make it spicy: Add diced jalapeño with the onion or finish each bowl with a few dashes of hot sauce.
Make it extra ridiculous: Add a little crumbled blue cheese with the toppings. Loaded baked potato meets steakhouse happy hour. Nobody needs to object.
Save the toppings: Do not dump every last piece of bacon and green onion into the pot. A naked beige bowl of potato soup is delicious, but we’re capable of presentation.
Reheating leftovers: Warm the soup gently over medium-low heat and add a splash of milk or broth. It’ll thicken considerably in the refrigerator because potatoes apparently continue working overnight.

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