Try this Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe, or contribute your own.
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups low fat milk
- 4 large russet potatoes scrubbed
- 8 bacon slices
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt plus more to taste
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- minced fresh chives for garnish
- Carbohydrate 399.933947470923 g
- Cholesterol 796.615485126705 mg
- Fat 314.858853593325 g
- Fiber 22.1057493467787 g
- Protein 169.183660274618 g
- Saturated Fat 163.43685635139 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (4137g)
- Sodium 7609.40866101501 mg
- Sugar 377.828198124144 g
- Trans Fat 23.7545585909566 g
- Calories 5071 calories
Step-by-step
- Pierce the potatoes multiple times with a fork, then microwave them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender.*
- Carefully halve the potatoes and let cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and cut into chunks.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
- Reserve up to 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan, discarding the rest.
- Once the bacon has cooled, crumble it into small pieces.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Add the reserved bacon fat, garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion is tender.
- Slowly whisk the flour into the pan and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half.
- Keep whisking until smooth.
- Gradually add the chicken stock.
- Bring to a light simmer and whisk in the kosher salt, garlic salt and pepper.
- Keep at a light simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
- If you'd like to use cheeses and bacon as a garnish, reserve 1/4 cup of each.
- Stir in the remaining cheeses, remaining bacon, and the sour cream.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Scoop potato chunks into the pan, breaking them into small pieces or leaving them chunky, depending on your preference.
- Serve hot, topped with your favorite garnishes, like cheese, bacon and chives.
Traditional baked potatoes require an hour or more in a hot oven, but microwaving russet potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes cuts preparation time down drastically while yielding the exact same internal starch conversion. Piercing the skins deeply with a fork prevents steam explosions inside the microwave cavity. Cooking the bacon first yields rendered fat that replaces a portion of the butter, building a savory foundation for the aromatics without wasting ingredients.
Whisking all-purpose flour directly into the warm fat creates a blonde roux. Slowly streaming in cold milk and half-and-half while whisking constantly prevents the starches from clumping into raw pockets of flour. Simmering this dairy-and-broth base for 5 to 7 minutes activates the flour's thickening properties before the cheese and sour cream go into the pot. Direct high heat causes aged cheddar to break and become grainy, so remove the vessel from the burner entirely before stirring in the dairy.
Lactose intolerance or dairy sensitivities require simple swaps rather than a complete recipe overhaul. Unsweetened plain almond milk or oat milk substitutes for the low-fat milk, though the reduction in dairy fat means the final consistency will lean thinner unless compensated with an extra tablespoon of flour during the roux stage.
