This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a warm and comforting soup that is quickly made in less than 30 minutes!
This quick and easy comfort food recipe comes from The I Heart Naptime Cookbook. I recently met Jamielyn, the author of this gorgeous cookbook and writer of the same titled blog – I Heart Naptime, and let me tell you guys, she is just a doll.
She’s a busy mom of three little ones, who understands the need for delicious dinners in a hurry. Can I get an Amen!?
As soon as you open this book you’ll be bookmarking each page and won’t know where to start.
Might I suggest this creamy soup as your maiden voyage into flavor town?
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
I was so surprised at how quickly this comfort food recipe came together.
She has a brilliant tip – microwave your potatoes to cut down on the cooking time. I quickly zapped my spuds in the microwave while I was cooking up some bacon on the stove top. Before I knew it, the soup was ready!
The only thing I did change about this recipe was that I left some of the potato skins on the potatoes. We love the texture of them and I liked how it gave the soup a little more depth.
It’s obviously totally optional and would be amazing either way.
But seriously guys, you need this book! It’s filled to the brim with not only 100 mouthwatering recipes, but also some super cute and totally do-able crafts to go along with them! I’m super excited about the possibility of these easy crafts making me look like a modern day Martha Stewart to all my friends.
It’s the little things. 😉
Don’t hesitate. Buy this book now. Get it on your Christmas wish-list! Or better yet, buy one for someone that you love! You won’t regret it!
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes, scrubbed
- 8 bacon slices
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup yellow onion
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low fat milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Pierce the potatoes multiple times with a fork, then microwave them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender.* Carefully halve the potatoes and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and cut into chunks.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Reserve up to 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan, discarding the rest. Once the bacon has cooled, crumble it into small pieces.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the reserved bacon fat, garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Slowly whisk the flour into the pan and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half. Keep whisking until smooth. Gradually add the chicken stock. Bring to a light simmer and whisk in the kosher salt, garlic salt and pepper. Keep at a light simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
- If you'd like to use cheeses and bacon as a garnish, reserve 1/4 cup of t each. Stir in the remaining cheeses, remaining bacon, and the sour cream. Remove the pot from the heat. Scoop potato chunks into the pan, breaking them into small pieces or leaving them chunky, depending on your preference. Serve hot, topped with your favorite garnishes, like cheese, bacon and chives.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This book was gifted to me. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
How To Make Homemade Rolls
Jamie
The BEST loaded baked potato soup I have ever made! Simple and easy to follow recipe. Left skins on golden Yukon potatoes after following note and baking them in oven. Substituted mild cheddar for smoked Gouda. AMAZING!!! Thank you…
Also, this is AMAZING!
Alexis K
I have tried so many recipes before, this is the first one I actually love!!! Thank you!
Prissy
Amazing recipe. Made without bacon and added some seasonings. Came out great.
Bree
phenomenal! amazing soup and directions are so straight forward!
Jan
Not sure why the negative comment, I’ve made this several times and it’s delicious. Mind I did accidently add too much cheese in one batch, but that was equally delish
Lisa
Made this and doubled the spices (including garlic and onion) plus a bit of smoked paprika, added one cup of both milk and broth, plus some ham, and garnished with green onions plus the other toppings. It’s one of my favorites!
Tricia
No such thing as to much cheese! Lol
Luke
Worst recipe I’ve had. Literally followed it step by step and it was some of the worst shit I’ve ever had. Please either fix this or learn how to give instructions. 0/10
Shawn
I’m sorry you had trouble understanding the recipe Luke. I’m not quite sure how to make it more simple than it’s written, but I would suggest reading through the recipe first, pulling out all of your ingredients and then start cooking. With well over 550 votes at a 4.98 star rating, it’s safe to say that this recipe works (and it works well). Just keep practicing your cooking skills and you’ll get there! 😉
Ed
Love other recipes on your site so I’m excited to try this one. Curious to know the weight of the uncooked potatoes before I try this recipe as 4 potatoes is not actually a volume and I’m guessing the actual amount of potatoes will have a significant outcome on the final result. Any chance you can shed some light on this for me? Thanks in advance!
Ed
Suzie
Here’s to make it even better; Use only ¼ cup flour. When the soup is finished, scoop out 2 cups into a plate. Mash everything with a fork and return to the soup pot. Stir well. OMG!
Olivia
Is this for a 16 oz. or 8 oz. serving?
Heather
Yall convinced me to try it!!! I’m going to make it tomorrow. Cant wait!!! I just ate a bowl from a steakhouse…so i’m excited to this to be better!!!! hahahaa
Trina
How could this recipe be adapted for the Instant Pot?
kim dickinson
is there a way to cut the salt content down , due to high BP and too much will make my feet swell , but i so love potato soup
Shawn
You could try removing the bacon and replacing the fat that’s rendered from it with olive oil. Make sure to use a low sodium chicken broth as well. Hope that gives you some ideas!
Nichole
Any luck with freezing this recipe? I have a number for potatoes that need to be used and want to make this for a Halloween party which is still 3 weeks away. Wasn’t sure if it’s freeze well with the potatoes, etc?
Dorinda
you could use low sodium bacon if you want to keep the bacon taste, use low sodium cheddar cheese, no sodium broth, and a salt substitute.
Angel
Along with previous suggestions, you can also use garlic powder in place of the garlic salt 🙂
Nydia Landers
This is so easy to make and good! I will make my own soup from now rather than get it at Panera, etc.
Jennifer
I am a soup junky and I have made this soup twice now. It is one of my favorites for sure! I throw in a few lemon squeezes and use smoked sharp cheddar cheese. Its awesome and my family thinks its awesome too!
Glinda
This recipe was delicious – tasted very much like my favorite restaurant soup we used to get years ago. Most restaurants serve what tastes like cheese soup with potatoes. I baked the potatoes and I did thin it with a bit more chicken stock after all ingredients were in. Very good!!
Christian Cain
On my grandma! Delicious! Only thing I gotta say, don’t you ever discard bacon grease. Buy you a mason jar and store it in the fridge!
Jeri Baker
Great recipe, I will definitely make it again.
Kerry
I made this a few days and it was delicious! Next time, though, I’ll peel the raw potatoes, then dice and cook them.
Carol A Greider
Hands down, this is the best potato soup I have ever had. Very flavorful, wonderful blend of seasonings – perfet for these January days!
Jen Js
Delicious, but I only had Whole milk, ran out of low fat. Not sure if this was the reason, but I found the soup a bit too heavy for my liking. The rest of the house absolutely loved it.
I modified the leftovers today by adding more chicken stock, and mashing/blending the potatoes into the soup. One that was done, adjust seasoning (read: add more salt) and I was in heaven.
I think based on these adjustments my future batch will have 4 cups of chicken stock instead of 2, will definitely go to low fat milk (or maybe just all whole milk??), and I may run the potatoes through a ricer if I want to keep the bacon bits nice a big – but immersion blender is so convenient…
Robin J Marie
Can the leftovers be frozen? Its absolutely delicious, but I made a double batch and just refuse to share
LeAnne
Super yummy and easy to make!
lynn
I plan to make this tonight. is there anything else I could use as a sub for the chicken stok? I don’t have time to run to the store to get any.
Shawn
Chicken broth will also work, or a combination of water and chicken bouillon if you have that.
Melissa
I always keep chicken bouillon in cupboard just in case. It’s not quite as delicious as canned or carton, but it works!
Michelle
I made a half batch one day and a full the next because it was so good! I skipped the half and half and used skim milk as well as mashed cauliflower in place of some of the potatoes in one batch and it tastes great either way. I did use an immersion blender to break down some but not all of the potatoes and will be freezing my current batch to serve at my Christmas lunch.
Note: saved the potato skins and put them into an air fryer, used as a crispy topping to the soup and as appetizer
Tammy
Followed the recipe exactly, amazing amazing soup!!! Best loaded baked potato soup I’ve ever had if I do say so myself 🙂
Shawn
So great to hear Tammy! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ilse
This soup is so quick and tasty. Definitely make again and again.
Shawn
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the soup!
Lindsey
Super excited to make this tonight! Question; can I use heavy cream instead of half and half?
Shawn
Heavy cream can be used, but it will definitely change the calorie count! 😉
Jarea
can I triple this recipe?
Shawn
Definitely! I do it all the time!
Lauren
We love this recipe! My picky 8 year old asks me like twice a week if we can have it for dinner. I started adding an extra potato because it feels a little light on potato to me as written. I also don’t usually add quite the full cup of sour cream, and I mix the entire two cups of cheese in and serve it with more cheese on the side. I also don’t put the bacon in the soup, just on the side because it keeps it’s texture better for leftovers, and you really get a lot of bacon flavor from just the grease. Love love love this recipe! The creamy soup has never broken on me, which I sometimes struggle with.
Shawn
I’m so glad you guys are enjoying this soup. It’s definitely one of our faves too!
Maria from PA
Awesome!! This is the best potato soup we’ve ever had!! Easy to make, follow to a tee – sooooo delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Maria!
Veronica B.
Came out great! I followed the instructions spot on.
Cooked the potatoes in the oven but it took longer than 45 minutes.
Added hot sauce to the soup but just a preference.
Lorena Howell
I’ve used a recipe similar to this for years. If you don’t have time to bake the potatoes and don’t want to microwave them, peel potatoes and cut into bite sized pieces. Add chicken stock to a separate pot and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until tender. Add the potatoes and chicken stock when the chicken stock is called for in the original recipe.
Shawn
Thanks for the tip Lorena! Glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
Deb Carmicheal
I haven’t fixed this yet. Wondering do I have to put the sour cream in ?? My husband does not like sour cream or cream cheese, so that makes it hard to make many things. I can’t wait to try this, it’s so cold here in Indiana.
Shawn
You don’t have to use the sour cream if you don’t like it. The soup might be a little thicker without it.
Nikki Chauhan
Do you think I could just sub the chicken stock for veg to make it veg friendly?
Shawn
Definitely! And… obviously omit the bacon. 😉
Julie
This was the most delicious version of this type of soup I’ve ever had! I added a half cup of finely diced ham, due to my husband’s request and it was super yummy! Very easy recipe to make for a quick, comforting meal. Thank you!
Shawn
Sounds like a great addition! Glad you enjoyed it Julie!
CJ
I love love love love love this recipe
Connie
Excellent – as good as any baked potato soup I’ve ever gotten in a restaurant and the best recipe I’ve ever gotten off the internet! Next time, I’ll take the extra time to bake the potatoes in the oven though, instead of microwaving.
Shawn
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Connie!
Tamaryn
Perfect! Delicious! Awesome! Very flavorful! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Tamaryn!
Joe Thompson
The only thing I’d change to this recipe, is out a 1/4 tsp of celery salt
Shawn
Celery salt would be a great addition!
Janie Matile
OMG…..this recipe is THE BEST!!! Full of flavor!! What a treat on a cold day!! Definitely a keeper!!
Shawn
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Janie!
Elise
Made this tonight. Filled with flavor, yet mine was more like decadent mashed potatoes. Thinning out with broth as I heat it up. Hearty & comforting.
Deborah
I needed substantial soup for my dad post-dental surgery. Made per the recipe without changes. The soup was delicious. Dad loved it. Did bake the potatoes in the oven as I think they have a better flavor. Thank you for a good recipe. It will be in the rotation.