Cheesy Loaded Potato soup is everything you love about classic baked potato soup, but with the volume turned up! This soup is filled with the smoky and meaty flavors of bacon, & is laced with sharp cheddar cheese for an ooey gooey bowl of perfection.
Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup is the perfect fall soup to warm you up from the inside out. It has a base of smooth and creamy potato just waiting to be dressed up with all of your favorite toppings.
Let’s be honest here, the soup itself is delicious, but it’s really just a vehicle for toppings. I love to serve mine with sour cream, bacon, scallions, and more cheese, but feel free to dress your soup up however you enjoy! You can even set up a toppings bar if you have a family of picky eaters.
What You Need To Make Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup
- Bacon
- Yellow Onion
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic
- All Purpose Flour
- Whole Milk
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- Paprika
- Russet Potatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Scallions
How to Make Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup
- Begin by cooking the bacon. Add your chopped bacon to a cold dutch oven or soup pot. Starting the bacon in a cold pan allows it to cook slowly and render out the fat so it crisps up evenly, rather than having some pieces that are undercooked and others that are burnt. Cook the bacon until crispy, about 10-15 minutes, then drain on a paper towel.
- Next, add diced onion to the pot and cook until the onions become translucent and soft. This will take about 5 minutes. Once soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- The next step is to make your roux. This is done by adding flour to the pot with the bacon grease and onions. Whisk in the flour until there is no longer loose flour in the pot. Then slowly add the milk and whisk continually while the milk and flour mix together, thickening the milk. Continue whisking until all of the milk and broth have been added.
- Next, add your chopped potatoes and remaining seasonings. Stir to combine and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally while cooking so nothing burns.
- Once the potatoes are tender, the soup is ready to be blended. This can either be done by inserting an immersion blender directly into the pot (this is the one I recommend) and blending until you reach your desired consistency, or you can transfer the soup in batches into a regular blender.
- After the soup has been blended, taste and adjust any seasoning needed. The soup usually needs another teaspoon of salt at this point. If the soup is too thick, go ahead and add more broth until you get a consistency you want.
- Finally, add in half of the cheese and stir until all of the cheese has melted.
- Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, crumbled bacon, chopped scallions and remaining cheddar cheese.
Questions About Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup
What is the best way to reheat this soup?
This soup thickens significantly once it cools so you will need to add some liquid when reheating. The best way to reheat this soup is on the stove. Add the soup to a pot and slowly heat until warmed through. Once warm, slowly add your liquid (broth, milk or even water), until it reaches your desired thickness.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Absolutely! Omit the bacon completely and replace the fat with olive oil or butter to make the roux. Additionally, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Can I use a different kind of potato?
Russet potatoes are best for this soup because of the amount of starch in them but you could substitute baby Dutch potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup
Classic baked potato soup, but with the volume turned up! This soup is filled with the smoky and meaty flavors of bacon, & is laced with sharp cheddar cheese for an ooey gooey bowl of perfection.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 845kcal
Ingredients
- 12 oz Bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 Yellow Onion medium diced
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- 4 cloves Garlic minced or grated
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 4 large Russet Potatoes 3 ½ – 4lbs, cut into 1" pieces
- 16 oz Cheddar Cheese shredded & divided
- Sour Cream for serving
- 6 Scallions thinly sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Begin by adding the bacon to a cold dutch oven or large pot. Turn heat to medium low and slowly cook the bacon until crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Once crispy, remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
- Add diced onion to the pot and stir to coat in bacon grease. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook onions for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Next, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the flour and whisk until all of the onions are coated in flour and there is no loose flour left in the pot. Raise the heat to medium, then slowly begin adding the milk, while whisking, continually. The liquid will begin to thicken as you whisk. Once all the milk has been added, pour in the broth and continue whisking.
- Once the liquid has slightly thickened, season with ½ teaspoon salt,½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika. Add the potatoes and stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender throughout (a knife can easily be inserted), the soup is ready to be blended. Stir the soup occasionally while cooking, so nothing burns.
- To blend the soup, remove it from the heat and insert an immersion blender and blend until you reach your desired consistency. The soup can also be blended in a regular blender in batches, but be careful when blending hot liquids. Additionally, if you dont have a blender, you can use a potato masher to mash up the soup.
- Once the soup has been blended, taste and adjust for seasoning. It usually needs about another 1 teaspoon of salt at this time, but that will depend on how salty your broth is. If the soup is too thick, you can add more broth ½ cup at a time until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Finally, add in 8oz of the shredded cheese and stir to combine.
- Serve, topped with a dollop of sour cream, crumbled bacon, chopped scallions and more cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 845kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1056mg | Potassium: 1480mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1125IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 737mg | Iron: 3mg
So good! Adding the cheese directly into the soup is such a fun twist.
Always finding more ways to add as much cheese as possible!
This recipe was AMAZING! The flavors were spot on and it was so filling. Perfect for a chilly fall night. We will definitely be making again!
So glad to hear you loved it Lauren!
If I could rate this recipe 10 stars I would!
So filling and delicious! This will be a staple in our home this fall!
Thanks Ashley!
I’m so happy to hear that Ruby!! So glad you & your family enjoyed.