Comfort food in a bowl, this loaded baked potato soup is full of flavor and easy to make. Rich and creamy in taste, this soup is topped with cheese, green onions, and bacon. Done and ready to eat in 30 minutes!
Easy Potato Soup
I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love a good potato soup recipe. There are so many ways and variations to make this soup, but loaded baked potato soup is by far one of my favorites. And my version is special to me because it’s my family recipe. As a child, both my mom and dad made this for me anytime I wasn’t feeling well. And I do the same for my kids and husband. Except they want it all the time regardless if they are sick or not, which is fine because it’s super easy and only takes 30 minutes to make.
What’s The Difference Between Potato Cheese Soup and Baked Potato Soup?
There are so many names for this soup. I typically hear it referred to as:
- Potato Cheese Soup
- Baked Potato Soup
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Cheesy Potato Soup
- Potato Cheddar Soup
- Potato Beer Cheese Soup
If you really boil it down, there’s only 3 main types of soup: Potato Soup, Potato Cheese Soup, and Baked Potato Soup. So what’s the difference between these? The descriptions are actually pretty true to their names:
- Potato Soup typically has a cream base made with flour and milk, and sometimes a chicken or vegetable broth. The focus is strictly on the creamy base and potatoes, and not so much the cheese, bacon and green onions.
- Potato Cheese Soup focuses on the cheese and the potatoes. Some people like to use a broth for the base and some like to use milk. The most popular cheese to use is cheddar based, but some like to add in different types of cheese such as velveeta or ghee. This is the recipe where people also like to include beer because it pairs amazingly well with cheese and it provides a lot of depth to the flavors in the soup.
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup is exactly what it sounds like. People like to put butter, cheese, cream, bacon and green onion on a baked potato and that’s exactly what this soup is…a loaded baked potato in soup form.
What’s In Loaded Baked Potato Soup?
When I was growing up, my parents always referred to this as “Potato Cheese Soup”. But It’s really not. I mean, it could be and here’s why:
- Flour, milk, and butter – I use an all purpose flour, milk and butter to make the creamy base.
- Potatoes – new red potatoes work best for this recipe because they have less starch than a russet potato and provide more of a velvety texture.
- Cheese – my preference is to use a sharp cheddar cheese.
- Salt – flavor enhancer. Oh, and add some pepper in there too if you’d like. Both black and white pepper are excellent flavor enhancers.
That’s really all you need for a true potato cheese soup and it’s absolutely delicious with just those ingredients. But, I love a good loaded baked potato and I always add cheese, bacon and green onions so I categorize this as a loaded baked potato soup.
How To Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Peel and cut the red potatoes into cubes. I leave some of the skin on. It helps add depth and texture.
- Cook the potatoes until they are ready to fall apart. Drain and then put them back in your empty sauce pan.
- When the potatoes are almost done, you can start your cream base.
- In a separate saucepan, take the butter, flour, salt, and milk and mix them in a saucepan. Turn up the heat and stir constantly until it thickens and bubbles.
- Once thick, add the sauce to your other sauce pan of potatoes. Turn the heat back to medium and add in your shredded cheese.
- Stir until the cheese melts.
- Add the soup to the bowls and top with your favorite toppings!
Tips For Making The Perfect Soup
- Flour – I use an all purpose flour. If you use a self rising flour, the soup will become thicker so you may need to add more milk if the consistency is too thick. If you’re gluten free, you can still make this soup; just use an all purpose gluten free flour.
- Cheese – Sharp cheddar cheese is my go to for this recipe, but sometimes I’ll use Velveeta cheese. I also like using a medium cheddar cheese. This recipe is super versatile so adding in different types of cheese, like ghee or goat cheese, really adds some fun flavors and textures to this soup. I highly recommend using a block of cheese and shredding it yourself instead of using a bag of pre-shredded cheese. HUGE taste difference.
- Milk – My preference is 2% milk but whole milk really does add a richer taste and a thicker texture.
- Bacon -Both turkey or pork bacon is great in this recipe. Potato cheese soup with bacon is just the best.
- Broth vs. Milk – You’ll find some versions made with chicken broth. This one is made with milk. If you choose to use a chicken or vegetable broth with this recipe, I have no idea how it will turn out. The milk adds to the creaminess and thickness of this soup and that’s my favorite version.
- Soup for Two – This is the perfect recipe for two. Just double the recipe if you need more servings.
Can Potato Soup Be Frozen?
The technical answer is yes. But I personally don’t like to freeze and thaw soups with a milk base. If you do, let your soup completely cool and then store it in a freezer safe gallon size Ziplock baggie or container. When it’s time to thaw, place it in the refrigerator and let it slowly liquify. You can warm the soup up in the microwave or back on the stove in a pot.
What To Serve With Potato Soup
- I love serving this Quick Peppery Cheese Bread with this soup. It pairs perfectly!
- If you want to pair with a salad, my Romaine Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing is amazing. The creamy Havarti cheese and crisp bacon tossed in a rich vinaigrette dressing makes the perfect lunch or dinner.
I can’t wait to hear how your soup turned out! Leave me a comment if you make these and tag me @recipesworthrepeating on Instagram and hashtag it #recipesworthrepeating so I can see what you made!
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Comfort food in a bowl, this loaded baked potato soup is full of flavor and easy to make. Rich and creamy in taste, this soup is topped with cheese, green onions, and bacon. Done and ready to eat in 30 minutes!
- 5 Red Potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, salted
- 1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 1.5 cups Milk
- 3/4 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. I half way peel my potatoes. I like some of the skin on them. Cook the potatoes until they are ready to fall apart. Drain and then put them back in your empty sauce pan.
When the potatoes are almost done, you can start your white sauce. In a separate sauce pan, take the butter, flour, salt and milk and mix them up in a saucepan. Turn the heat up on the stove and stir constantly until it thickens and bubbles.
Once thick, add the sauce to your other sauce pan of potatoes. Turn the heat back to medium and add in your shredded cheese.
Stir until the cheese melts.
You are ready to serve. This recipe serves 2 to 3 servings. Feel free to double for 4-5 people.
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