My Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup is the perfect comfort food for a chilly fall evening! This soup is so hearty, and flavorful. It stands up to any restaurant potato soup you might be craving. The flavor is reminiscent of the Loaded Baked Potato soup from Bennigan’s in the ’90’s. Just so so so good, yet so easy to make! It is filled with leftover baked potato, bacon, sharp cheddar, herbs, onion, and garlic. This recipe is one of our ultimate family favorites, making a soup lover out of my picky husband too!
My secret ingredient for the absolute best Baked Potato Soup is Better Than Bouillon Ham Base:
You can get it on Amazon, or at your local grocery store. Just a teaspoon of this definitely kicks the flavor up a notch, and results in that smoky, salty, ham flavor that compliments the baked potatoes, cheese, and green onions so well. This ingredient makes the soup restaurant-quality status.
Preparing the Baked Potato Soup
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook diced bacon over medium heat until just browned. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
Remove all of the bacon grease from the pot except for about 1 Tablespoon. With the burner still on medium heat, add in 1 Tbsp of butter and the onion and garlic. Stir for about 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften and become translucent. Do NOT let the garlic burn!
Whisk in the flour and ham base, and cook for about 2 more minutes. .
Next, gradually whisk in the milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly until well combined, and slightly thickened.
Add in the potatoes and bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer. Stir in the dried seasonings and salt and pepper.
Mix in half of the prepared bacon bits from the first step, the sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. Continue simmering, stirring frequently until the cheese has melted. Taste the soup and add any additional salt and pepper, as needed.
Garnish each bowl with the remaining bacon bits, extra shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions.
This soup is so hearty and delicious! Completely epitomizing what Fall soup season dreams are made of!
Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb Bacon, diced (about 12 slices) divided
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 cups Milk (2% or Vitamin D)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 1/2 tsp *Better than Bouillon Ham Base
- 4 large Baked Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 1/4 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt (possible more, to taste)
- 1 tsp Dry Ranch Dressing Mix/Seasoning
- 1 tsp Lowry's Seasoned Salt
- 1/8 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
Optional Garnish
- Sliced Green Onions
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, cook diced bacon over medium heat until just browned. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
- Remove all of the bacon grease from the pot except for about 1 Tablespoon. With the burner still on medium heat, add in 1 Tbsp of butter and the onion and garlic. Stir for about 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften and become translucent, do not let the garlic burn.
- Whisk in the flour and ham base, and cook for about 2 more minutes. Next, gradually whisk in the milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly until well combined, and slightly thickened.
- Add in the potatoes and bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat and simmer. Stir in the dried seasonings and salt and pepper. Mix in half of the prepared bacon bits from the first step, the sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Continue simmering, stirring frequently until the cheese has melted. Taste the soup and add any additional salt and pepper, as needed.
- Garnish each bowl with the remaining bacon bits, extra shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions.
Notes
Like this recipe? Try my Homemade Chili next!
Hello I’m about to make this!! But I’m confused on the baked potato, Do I bake it after I peel it? And do I underbake it so I can peel and cube it? Or is it supposed to not say baked? Like just russet potatoes? Thank you!
Hi there, for this recipe I find the texture is best with leftover fully cooked baked potatoes. If you don’t have them they are pretty easy to roast in the oven and then peel and cube. The pieces don’t have to be perfect and some will mix into the soup and make it even more thick and rich! The peels come off fully cooked baked potatoes pretty easily, especially if they’ve been in the fridge a day or so!
Okay thank you so much for the clarification, I’m so sorry if this was in the post and not recipe! I admit, now in retrospect, I realize I didn’t read everything.. which is where I should have gone first! Lol! Okay so in the morning I will bake potatoes and tonight I will peel and cube them. Makes so much more sense now thinking about them cooled! I was only thinking about baking then immediately peeling and cubing😅 thank you so much! Will leave a review after 💕💕
Holy moly that was so delicious!!! Did it just as written except I think I undercooked the potatoes or I didn’t dice them small enough so I used my Wisk to chop them up a bit!
I used regular chicken broth next I wanna use the better than bouillon roasted chicken with water!!!
Thank you! Kids (17&16) and hubby had seconds! Will be a new fall/winter staple!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Nothing like baked potato soup on chilly fall or winter day!