This Cheddar and Bacon-Loaded Potato Soup is About to Become Your New Snow Day Tradition ❄️
This recipe started as a casual snow day text from my mom: “I just made the best potato soup—Dad had two bowls!” I was a little skeptical at first. While I love the comfort of a thick and hearty soup, potato soup isn’t usually my jam. Too often, it tastes like a bland bowl of soupy mashed potatoes! 😝
So imagine my surprise after just one bite of Mom’s version. I finally found my ideal potato soup: bacon-loaded and super creamy, but still packed with hearty texture and full-on flavor.
It’s basically the best loaded baked potato you’ve ever had…just in the form of a steaming bowl of soup.
Through lots of testing, Mom and I learned that a few small details make all the difference: this recipe uses twice as much bacon as most others, infusing the broth with deep savory flavor and guaranteeing crispy-golden bits in every bite; hearty russet potatoes break down just enough to help thicken the broth; and finishing with white cheddar adds a sharp, melty bite that balances the richness.
After more than a few snowy day test runs, this cheesy bacon potato soup quickly became our new forever favorite—comfort food at its coziest, and the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep on repeat all winter long.
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Key Ingredients
- Bacon creates the base of flavor for this soup, so it’s worth seeking out a high-quality, thick-cut, center-cut variety. I always order directly from the butcher counter, where the flavor is much better than packaged bacon. Plus, since it’s usually extra meaty, you get the best of both worlds: deeply flavorful renderings to infuse the broth and plenty of crispy bits for topping.
- Russet potatoes are perfect for creamy potato soup. Their high starch and low moisture content help naturally thicken the soup while still holding their shape. In testing, I found that less starchy varieties like Yukon Gold or Red didn’t deliver the same velvety finish. Plus, russets stay nice and fluffy—just like a baked potato!
- Cheddar cheese adds both creaminess and a sharp edge that balances the richness of the potatoes and bacon. I like using white cheddar because it doesn’t turn the broth orange.
- Chicken base (like Better Than Bouillon) is Mom’s secret ingredient to take this potato soup to the next level. Just a spoonful of this concentrated paste lends a savory depth that makes store-bought broth taste like it simmered all day.
Snow Day Soup Essentials
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Buy Now → How to Make The BEST Creamy, Cheesy Potato Bacon Soup
Every pot of soup I make starts with the same goal: maximum flavor, minimal effort. This homemade potato soup comes together in 3 key steps: you’ll render the bacon, sauté the vegetables in its drippings, and build the soup with a simple roux all in one pot so no flavor is lost along the way.
It tastes like it simmered all day, but it’s ready in about an hour—easy enough for even the coziest, laziest snow day!
Chop the bacon into ¼-inch pieces for quick, even cooking. Add it to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook until it’s as browned and crispy as you like, with a golden layer of bacon fat at the bottom. Set the bacon aside on a paper towel-lined plate—but don’t drain the drippings from the pot!
🥓This potato soup recipe uses a generous 12 ounces of bacon (most others use a few strips, maybe a half pound), which gives you the perfect amount of drippings to cook the hearty veggies and infuse the broth, with plenty of crispy bits leftover. Half goes straight into the soup, the rest is saved for topping.
Use all of that delicious bacon fat (yes, all of it! 😏) to sauté the diced carrots, celery, and onion. Once the mirepoix veggies are softened, stir in diced russet potatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes, just until they’re barely tender.
🥔Wait to add the spuds after the veggies have softened! If the potatoes cook too long, they’re prone to falling apart and turning the soup starchy and mushy.
Add chopped fresh garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to the pot. Stir to coat the veggies and toast the spices for a couple of minutes to wake up their flavor. Smoked paprika is especially great here—it plays up the depth and smokiness of the bacon.
Add a little butter and flour to create a quick roux, then pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits of fond from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the chicken base and half the cooked bacon, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
🧈Why butter? By this point, the veggies will have soaked up all the bacon drippings. Adding a bit more butter helps build the roux, which gives the broth rich body without the need for much cream or starch. This helps guarantee a creamy potato soup that’s thick and velvety—never gloopy or gluey!
Finish the potato soup with half and half and shredded cheddar. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring between each addition until it melts smoothly. Be sure to keep the heat low here—if it gets too hot, the dairy may seize or separate.
I can’t wait for you to try this Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup! If you do, be sure to let us know. Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Next-Level Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon and Cheddar
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Main Dishes, & Chili Recipes, soup, Stew, Pork Recipes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
When the snow’s piling up outside, there’s nothing better than this Easy Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup bubbling on the stove!
Tender russet potatoes and hearty vegetables simmer in a smoky, bacon-infused broth, creating a rich soup with plenty of chunky, satisfying texture. A splash of cream and a generous handful of sharp white cheddar bring it all together, so every spoonful is thick and creamy—never gloopy or overly heavy.
Plus, it’s made with pantry staples and ready in under an hour, so there’s no need to brave the cold…just pile your bowl high with baked potato-style toppings and cozy in!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced into ¼-inch pieces (I like using center-cut)
- 2 large carrots, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces (about 4–5 medium potatoes)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
- heaping ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- heaping ½ teaspoon onion powder
- optional: ½ teaspoon MSG
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth/stock
- 1 tablespoon chicken base
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 ounces sharp white cheddar, shredded (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: Add the bacon to a large pot (at least 5.5-qt capacity) over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is rendered and as crispy as you like. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: To the same pot (no need to drain the rendered bacon fat!), add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few twists of ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 4-5 minutes, just until the potatoes are slightly softened.
- Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic and all of the spices (smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, MSG) to the pot. Stir to coat the vegetables and let everything bloom, cooking 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Build the potato soup and simmer: Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, sprinkle the flour over top, stirring to coat the veggies evenly. Cook 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Slowly pour in the broth while scraping up any browned bits of fond from the bottom of the pot – that’s where all the flavor is! Stir in the chicken base and half of the cooked bacon. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, 15-20 minutes until the soup is thickened slightly and the potatoes are tender.
- Finish the soup: Reduce heat to low. Stir in the half and half and shredded cheese, mixing to combine well. Cook about 5 minutes longer, until the soup is heated through – don’t let it boil, or the cheese may separate. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately: Ladle the soup into individual bowls, and load it up with all of your favorite fixings – we love a dollop of sour cream, the reserved crispy bacon, extra shredded cheddar, and thinly sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Much of the active prep work for this cheesy potato soup comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week: finely dice 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, and 1 yellow onion, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: This cheesy potato soup is incredibly make-ahead friendly – its flavors get even better the longer it sits. To store, transfer cooled soup to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: This cheesy potato soup also freezes very well. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer container (or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, for a quicker thaw, submerge the freezer container in room temperature water. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, thinning it out with a splash of water or chicken stock as needed.
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My husband is really picky about soup, and loaded potato soup is his favorite. This got rave reviews from him and will be going in our chilly weather rotation!
It will be on repeat next winter around here too, Ann! Glad you found a new favorite!
Exactly what we wanted on a cold winter evening, so good! Ended up adding some additional liquid (~2 cups broth), but I think we let it simmer for too long and lost some liquid that way, and used whole milk (b/c that’s what we had on hand) instead of half and half. Will absolutely make again!
This soup is perfect for chilly nights, Anna! So glad to hear it turned out well for you and that you’ll be making it again! 🙂
This was SO GOOD!!! I cannot wait to make again.
You tried this one so quickly, Emily! So glad you enjoyed it as much as we do! 🙂