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Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Soup Best Game Day Recipe

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This creamy loaded baked potato soup is the ultimate game day comfort food, packed with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, green onions, and sour cream. It’s thick, velvety, and perfect for feeding a crowd while watching football.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (use gluten-free 1:1 blend if needed)
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole milk (or 2%)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes (about 6 medium potatoes)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
  • 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • Additional crispy bacon, crumbled (for topping)
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)
  • Sliced green onions (for topping)
  • Sour cream (for topping)
  • Fresh chives, chopped (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon: Place chopped bacon in a cold Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy (8-10 minutes). Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave 2-3 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Add diced onion to the pot with bacon fat. Cook over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Make the roux: Add butter to the pot. Once melted, sprinkle flour over onions and garlic. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until a thick paste forms.
  4. Build the liquid base: Slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened (2-3 minutes). Add milk and heavy cream, whisking to combine.
  5. Add the potatoes: Stir in diced potatoes, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender. Stir occasionally.
  6. Add cream cheese and cheddar: Remove pot from heat. Add softened cream cheese pieces and stir until melted. Gradually add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until fully melted.
  7. Mash and adjust: Use a potato masher to gently mash some of the potatoes (6-8 mashes) for creaminess, leaving chunks for texture. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. Serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with crispy bacon, extra cheddar, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. For game day, transfer to a slow cooker set to warm.

Notes

Don’t skip the bacon fat—it adds smoky depth. For a vegetarian version, use olive oil and liquid smoke. Shred your own cheese for best melting. Add cream cheese at the end for velvety texture. Avoid over-mashing; leave some potato chunks. For slow cooker method: cook bacon and onions on stovetop, then transfer everything except cream cheese and cheddar to slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours, then stir in cream cheese and cheddar at the end.

Nutrition

Keywords: loaded baked potato soup, game day soup, creamy potato soup, bacon cheddar soup, slow cooker soup, comfort food, football party food

Find it online: https://cheerycrisp.com/creamy-loaded-baked-potato-soup-best-game-day-recipe/