Loaded Baked Potato Soup

If you love baked potatoes, then you’re going to love this Loaded Baked Potato Soup. It’s seriously amazing and so simple to make.

(UPDATED PHOTOS: 03/14/19)

It is most definitely getting to be soup weather, which is possibly the only good thing about the weather cooling off.

I love soup and this Loaded Baked Potato Soup is hands down the absolute best potato soup I have ever had.  I made it on a whim the other day.  I had no clue what I was going to fix for dinner, I knew soup was a possibility because the temps had dropped from 80 degrees one day to 50-something two days later and I was cold. ( I know 50 isn’t really that cold to some of you, but anything below 70 is cold to me.) Anyway, I was looking through cookbooks and this soup caught my eye.  We all love baked potatoes at our house so I knew this soup would get a thumbs up from my boys.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this soup will rock your world. . . it did ours!  In fact, it is sooo good I made it two days later and took it to my mom’s house.  I wish you could have heard all the oohs and ahhhs while my parents and sisters ate this soup. I told them it was good, I just don’t think they had any idea how good until they tasted it.

Make this soup!  I promise you it will be the best potato soup you’ve ever had!

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Course: Soup

Author: 5boysbaker.com

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup flour
• 6 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoo pepper
• 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
• 12 slices bacon cooked, crumbled and divided
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes and prick several times with a form. Place on cookie sheet and bake for about an hour or until done. Cool and then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Throw away the skins.
2. In a 3-4 quart stockpot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly so the flour doesn't brown.
3. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the potatoes, salt, pepper, ranch dressing mix (if using), 1 cup of the cheese, 1 cup of the bacon and half of the green onion. Cook until the mixture is well heated, but not boiling.
4. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream mix until well combined and heat until hot but not boiling.

5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Recipe Notes

I leave all the green onions out of the soup and just let people put their own on as a garnish (picky eaters at my house).

 

My boys love to put ranch dressing on their baked potatoes so I decided to throw in some dry ranch dressing mix. This is totally optional and you don't have to, the flavor is not by any means overpowering, in fact if you didn't know it was in there, you probably wouldn't even be able to taste it.

Recipe source: adapted slightly from Cooking in the South