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Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Bacon

Loaded baked potato soup with bacon delivers thick, creamy comfort with tender russet potatoes, crispy chopped bacon, and melted sharp cheddar. It’s built with a quick roux and finished with dairy on low heat for a smooth, spoon-coating texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon
  • 8 slices bacon Chop before cooking.
Unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Yellow onion
  • 1 yellow onion Dice small.
Garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
All-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour Measure and set aside for roux.
Chicken broth
  • 4 cups chicken broth Use to thin and simmer potatoes.
Russet potatoes
  • 2 lb russet potatoes Peel and dice; mash about half later.
Salt
  • 1 tsp salt
Black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper Use ground black pepper; reserve some for garnish.
Smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Sour cream
  • 1 cup sour cream
Sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese Reserve extra for garnish.
Green onions
  • 2 green onions Thinly slice; divide for stirring and garnish.
Extra shredded cheddar cheese
  • extra shredded cheddar cheese For garnish (measure to taste).
Crumbled bacon
  • crumbled bacon For garnish (use more chopped bacon if desired).

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook bacon
  1. Cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until crispy and golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, then reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon drippings in the pot.
Build the roux
  1. Add the butter and diced yellow onion to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute to create a light roux.
Simmer potatoes
  1. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until smooth, scraping up any browned bits. Add the diced russet potatoes, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika, then bring to a gentle boil.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Thicken and finish
  1. Mash about half of the potatoes with a potato masher, leaving plenty of chunks for texture. This keeps the soup thick with a loaded baked-potato bite.
  2. Stir in the heavy cream, sour cream, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Cook over low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fully melted and smooth, and do not boil after adding the dairy.
Serve
  1. Stir in half of the crispy bacon and half of the sliced green onions. Taste and ensure seasoning is balanced with the salt and black pepper.
  2. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon, extra shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, keep the soup at a gentle low heat after adding the dairy—boiling can cause it to break. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, swap half of the heavy cream with evaporated skim milk while keeping full cheddar and sour cream for richness.