Loaded Potato Soup – Easy Creamy Comfort Food Recipe

Okay so everyone keeps asking me for this Loaded Potato Soup recipe, and honestly? I keep putting it off because I was convinced it was too basic to share. But after my neighbor Lisa made it three times last week (and kept texting me pictures), I figured maybe it’s worth writing down properly.

Look, I’m gonna be honest—my first attempt at Loaded Potato Soup was back in October, and it was basically watery mashed potatoes with some sad bacon floating around. Disaster. Complete disaster. I followed this overly complicated recipe that had me making a roux and then blending things in separate stages like I was running some kind of chemistry lab.

This version happened when I got frustrated and just started throwing stuff in one pot. Turns out, the secret is cooking your bacon first to get that rendered fat, then building everything else in the same pot using that bacon goodness. Magic, honestly.

Why This Loaded Potato Soup Recipe Actually Works :

Here’s the thing about most potato soup recipes—they either take forever or taste like nothing. This Loaded Potato Soup hits that perfect comfort food sweet spot where it’s creamy, hearty, and actually tastes like loaded baked potatoes in soup form.

The key is using the right potatoes. I learned this after making bland soup twice with the wrong ones. Russet potatoes are your friend here—they break down perfectly and create that thick, creamy texture without needing a ton of heavy cream. Plus they actually taste like potatoes, which sounds obvious but apparently isn’t.

My teenage son, who basically lives on cereal and complaints, asked for seconds the first time I made this. That never happens. Even my picky mother-in-law admitted it was “surprisingly good for something homemade,” which from her is basically a James Beard Award.

What I love most is that this truly tastes like a loaded baked potato that someone magically turned into soup. You get the crispy bacon, the tangy sour cream, the sharp cheddar cheese—all the good stuff but in a bowl you can eat with a spoon.

Shopping for Loaded Potato Soup Ingredients :

Ingredient shopping for this is pretty straightforward, but there are definitely some things I learned the hard way:

The Potato Base:

• 3 lbs large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (don’t use red potatoes, they won’t break down right)
• Trust me, Russets are worth it even if they cost more

The Bacon Situation:

• 8-10 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped into small pieces
• I buy the good stuff from the butcher counter because life’s too short for sad bacon

The Aromatics:

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (I use way more because I’m obsessed)
• 4 tablespoons butter

The Thickening Magic:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth (low-sodium so you can control the salt)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (don’t skimp on this)

The Loaded Part:

• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (please don’t use pre-shredded)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 green onions, chopped
• Extra bacon and cheese for topping

Seasonings:

• Salt and pepper (you’ll need more salt than you think)
• Optional: a pinch of paprika for color

Speaking of shopping, good luck finding decent bacon that doesn’t cost a fortune. I’ve started buying it in bulk when it goes on sale and freezing it in meal-sized portions. Also, please grate your own cheese for this—the pre-shredded stuff has weird coatings that make it not melt properly. Been there, learned that lesson.

How to Make Loaded Potato Soup :

Step 1: Cook the Potatoes
Add your cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender. Don’t overcook them or they’ll get mushy (learned this when I got distracted by a phone call and ended up with potato mush). Drain and set aside.

Step 2: The Bacon Magic
In the same large pot (don’t clean it first—we want all those potato bits for flavor), cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels. Keep about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot and discard the rest.

Step 3: Build the Base
Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Don’t burn the garlic—I did this once while helping with homework and the whole soup tasted bitter.

Step 4: Make the Roux
Add the butter to the pot and let it melt, then whisk in the flour. Cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, to get rid of the raw flour taste. It’ll look like paste, but that’s normal.

Step 5: Add Liquids Slowly
Here’s where most people mess up (including past me). Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, about a cup at a time, making sure each addition is smooth before adding more. Then add the milk and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and let it thicken slightly.

Step 6: The Potato Situation
Add about half of your cooked potatoes to the soup and mash them right in the pot with a potato masher. This creates the thick, creamy texture. Then add the remaining potatoes in chunks for texture. Let everything simmer together for 10-15 minutes.

Step 7: Cheese and Final Touches
Turn the heat to low and gradually stir in the grated cheddar cheese until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and half the cooked bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste—it probably needs more salt than you think.

My Hard-Won Tips for Perfect Loaded Potato Soup :

After making this probably twenty-five times (my family’s addicted), here’s what I wish someone had told me:

About the Potatoes: Russets are absolutely crucial. I tried making this with Yukon Gold once because they were on sale, and the soup was thin and bland. Russets break down properly and actually taste like potatoes. Also, don’t skip peeling them—the skins make the soup look muddy.

Bacon Fat Wisdom: Don’t throw away all that bacon fat! Keeping some for cooking the onions adds so much flavor. But don’t keep too much or your soup will be greasy. I learned this balance through trial and error (and one very greasy soup incident).

The Blending Question: Some recipes tell you to blend everything smooth, but I like leaving some potato chunks for texture. It feels more like actual loaded baked potato soup instead of just thick potato puree. Your call on this one.

Cheese Melting: Add the cheese off the heat or on very low heat. High heat makes cheese seize up and get grainy. If this happens, whisk in a splash of warm broth and it usually smooths out.

Storage Stuff: This soup is amazing fresh but gets really thick in the fridge. Just thin it out with a splash of broth or milk when reheating. Freezes okay for about 2 months, though the texture changes slightly.

What Makes This the Ultimate Comfort Food :

This isn’t just soup—it’s like a warm hug in a bowl. The combination of crispy bacon, creamy potatoes, sharp cheddar, and tangy sour cream is basically everything good about loaded baked potatoes but in a form you can eat year-round.

My kids fight over who gets to put the toppings on their bowls. Extra bacon, more cheese, green onions, sometimes even a dollop of sour cream on top. It’s become this whole production, but honestly, that’s half the fun.

I usually serve this with some crusty bread for dunking because obviously you need something to soak up every last drop. Sometimes I’ll make cornbread if I’m feeling ambitious, but most of the time it’s just whatever bread I have lying around.

The Real Talk About This Easy Recipe :

Look, I make this Loaded Potato Soup at least twice a month now, especially when the weather gets cold. It’s become my go-to when I want something that feels indulgent but doesn’t require me to be in the kitchen for three hours.

The best part is how impressed people get when they find out it’s homemade. My sister-in-law, who usually orders everything from DoorDash, asked me to teach her how to make it. That’s when you know you’ve got a winner recipe.

Is it healthy? Absolutely not. Is it delicious and satisfying and exactly what you want on a cold Tuesday night? One hundred percent yes. Sometimes you need food that just makes you happy, and this soup delivers every single time.

My husband, who’s usually pretty diplomatic about my cooking experiments, told me this was better than the loaded potato soup at our favorite restaurant. Higher praise than any food blog review, honestly.

Variations I’ve Actually Tried :

Sometimes I throw in some corn kernels during the last few minutes of cooking. Adds sweetness and color, plus my kids think it’s fancy.

I’ve also made this with leftover rotisserie chicken when I wanted it to be more of a complete meal. Just shred some chicken and add it with the bacon. Works perfectly.

Once I added some diced jalapeños with the onions because I was feeling adventurous. The heat was perfect with all that creamy richness, but my kids were not fans. Your mileage may vary.

Make-Ahead and Serving Tips :

This Loaded Potato Soup is perfect for meal prep, though it does get thick when refrigerated. I usually make a double batch on Sunday and portion it out for the week. Just add a splash of broth when reheating and it’s good as new.

For parties, I set up a whole topping bar with extra bacon, cheese, sour cream, and green onions. People love building their own loaded bowls, and it makes a simple soup feel like something special.

So there you have it—my not-so-secret Loaded Potato Soup recipe that’s basically saved my cold-weather dinner routine and made me the neighborhood soup lady. Try it on a night when you want maximum comfort with minimum effort.

Fair warning: once your family tries this, they’ll probably request it weekly. Mine does. At least it’s easy to make, right?

Happy cooking! (And may your bacon always be crispy and your cheese never seize up!)