Recipe: Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Scallions & Cheddar (2024)

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Sarah Rae Smith

Sarah Rae Smith

Sarah Rae Smith has lived all across the Midwest and currently calls the bratwurst-laden city of Sheboygan home. She seeks out kitchens that make the best pie and farmers with fresh eggs.

updated May 12, 2022

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Recipe: Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Scallions & Cheddar (1)

Serves10 to 12

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Recipe: Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Scallions & Cheddar (2)

In the past we’ve looked at a few more refined versions of potato soup. There has been a creamy curried potato soup, a sweet potato soup with miso and ginger, and a roasted garlic and potato soup. But I’m not as polished as the rest of our Kitchn writers. See, this Midwestern girl wants her meat and potatoes and she doesn’t always want them to be fancied up — well, unless you consider bacon fancy.

There are so many different ways to make potato soup — it’s rather ridiculous. A quick Google search will show you many of the infinite variations. But when it comes to a traditional dish that makes your stomach growl from the other room just thinking about it, accept no substitute for this thick, creamy, and extra-comforting dish.

Now before we start, there are a few disclaimers. This dish isn’t low-fat, and it isn’t light in calories. Under no circ*mstances does it even pretend to be the healthiest soup on the block. This dish is a stick-to-your-ribs type meal that can be served at the end of a long day. It falls into the comfort food category and is best eaten in fuzzy slippers and pajamas. Not because that’s the attire the meal requires, but because the only thing more comforting than this meal is fuzzy slippers. If you’re going to go all out, that’s how to do it!

If you already have a few baked potatoes and some cooked bacon in the fridge, this dish comes together in less than five minutes. Make these things ahead so this soup is ready to be thrown together at a moment’s notice. There’s no long drawn out cooking time for broth; you can literally come home from work and have this meal on the table before your children get a chance to tear the house apart! Fabulous!


Tester’s Notes:

As Sarah Rae says, this is exactly the kind of rich and hearty meal you crave at the end of a long day. I tend to see a recipe like this and automatically start thinking about subbing in a lower-fat milk, using yogurt instead of sour cream, and other calorie-cutting techniques. If you have similar instincts, I urge you to curb them for this recipe. It’s worth it to go all in and just enjoy the ride. This ridiculously good soup is the very definition of comfort food, and we all need that every now and then.

The only change I actually make is to cut the recipe in half, or even in quarters. As it is, the recipe will feed a whole crowd of very hungry people, which is good for a Super Bowl party or potluck dinner. When it’s just my small family, a smaller batch is just the thing for a cozy night in. Emma

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Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Green Onion & Cheddar

Serves 10 to 12

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks

    (1 cup/16 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1 cup

    all-purpose flour

  • 8 cups

    whole milk

  • 5

    large potatoes, baked and cubed (peeled, if desired)

  • 2 pounds

    bacon, cooked and crumbled (about 2 cups)

  • 3 cups

    shredded cheddar cheese

  • 2 cups

    sour cream

  • 1 bunch

    green onions, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon

    kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon

    ground black pepper

  • 1 clove

    garlic, minced (optional)

  • 1/4 cup

    grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to combine until thickened. Whisking continuously, slowly pour in the milk and whisk until mixture is smooth. Be sure to get the corners of the pan.

  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients and lower the heat to medium. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted and the soup is warmed through. Be sure to scrape bottom of the pot as you stir so the soup doesn't burn.

  3. Serve when warm and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you don't have them already prepared, bake the potatoes and fry the bacon before starting this recipe.

On using sliced bacon: You can of course start by using sliced bacon and can even hold onto the rendered fat, substituting it for part of the butter called for in the soup recipe. Just reduce your butter accordingly and add it right in.

On pre-baking your potatoes: Since this recipe uses potatoes that are already baked, you might want to toss a few in the oven the night before to bake them off ahead of time. Baked, they'll keep in the fridge for a week (easily), so dinner can be ready to go any night of the week!

Related: Recipe: Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato) Soup

Filed in:

Cheese

dinner

easy

Main Dish

milk

One-Dish Meal

Recipe: Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Scallions & Cheddar (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thickening agent for potato soup? ›

Cornstarch is not the only thickening agent you can use. Other alternatives include flour, arrowroot powder, instant mashed potatoes, or even pureed vegetables like cauliflower or cooked oats. Each of these options will add thickness to your soup while imparting its own unique taste and texture.

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? ›

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? Most creamy soups require you to add dairy of some sort into it. If you're finding your soup is too thin adding milk, add in cream instead, or whole milk.

What potato holds up best in soup? ›

ANSWER: Waxy potatoes or those called boiling potatoes stand up well in soups and stews. These have thin skin and are high in moisture and low in starch. Potatoes that are low-starch and high-moisture hold together better. Yukon Gold potatoes are on the medium-starch side and will hold their shape in soups.

Why is my baked potato soup watery? ›

The main reason your potato is not thickening is that it needs a heavier dairy product. Potato soup is cooked in a milk and chicken broth soup but heavy cream may need to be added. If your recipe calls for whole milk, mix in heavy cream instead or do half milk and have heavy cream.

Do you cook potatoes before adding to soup? ›

There's no need to boil potatoes before adding them to soup. Just be sure to add them with enough time to cook without overcooking the other soup ingredients. For diced potatoes, this is typically 10 to 15 minutes.

How do you make loaded baked potato soup thicker? ›

Combine cornstarch and a little bit of water—or the chicken stock from the soup—in a small bowl. With the soup simmering over medium-low heat, whisk in the slurry. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately.

How do you doctor up bland potato soup? ›

Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

What is a substitute for heavy cream in potato soup? ›

Similarly to half-and-half, milk makes a good heavy cream substitute when it's combined with melted butter. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter for every cup of heavy cream.

Can you use sour cream to thicken potato soup? ›

Another option for thickening soup is by using dairy like sour cream or yogurt. Start with a small dollop and stir before checking the consistency and adding more. We recommend using plain yogurt so you don't alter the taste of the soup. You can also use cream if you prefer.

What can I add to potato soup to add flavor? ›

Cheese: I recommend a good sharp cheddar cheese here for maximum flavor. Greek yogurt or sour cream: To make the soup extra-creamy. Salt and pepper: Add in as much as you need at the end to season your soup well.

Why aren't my potatoes getting soft in my potato soup? ›

It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes. Acidic Ingredients: If your soup contained highly acidic ingredients (e.g., tomatoes), it could have affected the texture of the potatoes. Acidic ingredients can slow down the softening process of potatoes.

Will cream cheese thicken potato soup? ›

Cream cheese can be a delicious and tangy thickener for mashed potatoes so it stands to reason that it can also be used to add body to your favorite silky potato soup recipes — right? The answer is yes. It only works well if you do it carefully, though.

Why does my potato soup taste sour? ›

Soup can become acidic due to a variety of factors such as using acidic ingredients like tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon juice, overcooking certain vegetables, or adding too much of ingredients like wine or citrus. It can also be caused by fermentation or spoilage of soup over time.

Does heavy cream thicken soup? ›

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

What is the best ingredient to thicken soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Is cornstarch or flour better for thickening soup? ›

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Can you add cornstarch to thicken potato soup? ›

Whisk 2 tbsp (25 g) of cornstarch or 2 tbsp (30 g) of flour with 14 cup (59 mL) of cool water. Once the starch is completely dissolved, pour the slurry into the main pot. Heat the soup to boiling for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer until the soup is as thick as you'd like it.

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