This Loaded Baked Potato Chowder is the ultimate Fall food. Loaded with crispy bacon, perfectly soft potatoes and of course, all the cheese, there is seriously nothing better than a big bowl of this on a chilly evening!
Ahhhhh! Alright you guys, I have seriously been wanting to share this recipe with you for AGES. I shot it several weeks ago and I’ve still been dreaming of it ever since.
Almost everyone loves a loaded baked potato. How could you say no to a steaming hot, fluffy potato loaded with sour cream, butter, bacon and chives?
And this soup seriously checks off all of the boxes to recreate that deliciousness that you love about the classic side dish.
How much better is it loaded in a bowl with all of the garnishes and warm coziness just steaming?!
Why You’ll Love This Dish:
First off, it’s so super creamy. The broth itself is decadent but not overly rich tasting. I did that by combining both chicken broth, half and half and sour cream.
Of course you guys know I love my heavy cream but I loved the combination of the savory flavor of the broth with the creaminess of the half and half. The sour cream takes it to the next level, really helping remind you of the flavor of the classic baked potato.
And I mean hi hello CRISPY BACON.
This soup uses an entire pack of bacon – you use some for the soup itself and then of course save some of that crispy goodness for the toppings.
I love the cheese in the soup as well. It gives it a saltiness than is needed and of course, how can you go wrong with melty cheesy goodness?! 😉
All in all you have a creamy chowder, the perfect amount of spice, bite size pieces of potato and of course….all of the crispy bacon and crunchy green onions! YUM.
So let’s get into what you need to make it!
Ingredients You Need:
- Bacon
- Russet potatoes
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- All purpose flour
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne)
- Chicken broth
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Half and half
- Green onions
Best Tips for Making Chowder:
Alright my friends, it always helps me to start to dice, chop and get everything prepped for the meal. This will make it easier as you go along – especially since this is a one pot meal! Woohooooo.
So, here’s the sitch:
- Cut bacon into bite size chunks
- Dice onion into bite size pieces
- Mince garlic
- Wash + dice potatoes into bite size chunks
- Shred the cheddar cheese
- Dice green onions for garnish.
Whew! And now that that’s all over, let’s start making the soup!
Grab a large stock pot, add a little bit of oil and let it get warm on medium heat.
Once the pot is ready, add in the bacon! You might need to do it in batches depending on the size of your pot. Let it get crispy – stirring occasionally until you reach your desired bacon consistency. I like mine extra crispy!
Once the bacon is done, I placed mine on a paper towel lined plate to help get some of the grease off.
Add in the onion next – directly into the bacon grease. Hello flavor! Let it cook for a few minutes then add in the garlic. Add in a pinch of salt and mix. Then add in the flour to coat the veggies as well as the spices (garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder and cayenne powder if you’re feeling spicy!)
This is going to help thicken up the soup. And time for the broth! Whisk the broth into the veggies, making sure to get any brown bacon bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add in the diced potatoes and then let it come to a boil. Reduce heat to a GENTLE boil for 10-15 minutes until fork tender.
Reduce the heat and then add in the half and half, sour cream, cheese and most of the bacon. Mix together and let it get warm but never let it come to a boil – you just want it to be warmed up!
Once it’s warm, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. I’ll never say no to an extra pinch of salt!
Ladle a generous amount of soup into a large bowl and top with extra crispy bacon and those delicious green onions.
SO. COZY. SO. GOOD.
Garnish Ideas:
- More cheese
- Extra spoonful of sour cream
- Hot sauce or buffalo sauce (hello spicy!)
Enjoy this chowder, my friends! Tastes even better with a cozy blanket and your favorite TV show playing.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few other soup recipes you might enjoy:
Mexican Street Corn and Chicken Chowder
Lightened Up Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Loaded Baked Potato Chowder
This Loaded Baked Potato Chowder is the ultimate Fall food. Loaded with crispy bacon, perfectly soft potatoes and of course, all the cheese, there is seriously nothing better than a big bowl of this on a chilly evening!
Ingredients
- 12 oz pack of bacon
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 3 lbs russet potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 1.5 cups half and half
- 1/2 tsp salt (add more if needed!)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 1/4 tsp cracked pepper
- chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
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Begin by prepping the ingredients. Dice onion into bite size pieces. Mince the garlic. Wash and chop the potatoes into bite size pieces. Shred the cheddar cheese and dice the green onions. Finally, dice bacon into bite size pieces.
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Add a splash of oil into a large stock pot and let it get warm on medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. You might have to do it in batches!
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Once the bacon is crispy, remove it onto a paper towel lined plate. If there is an abundance of bacon grease, remove some of that as well. Leave some for flavor!
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To the pot, add in the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
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Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
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Add in the flour and stir until it coats the veggies and cook for 1 minute. Add in the other spices and have it coat the veggies as well.
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Add in the chicken broth and whisk to combine, making sure to get all the bits of bacon off the bottom of the pot.
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Add in the potatoes. Let boil gently for 10-15 minutes or so until the potatoes are fork tender.
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Once potatoes are fork tender, turn down the heat a bit and add in the half and half, sour cream and cheese and most of the bacon - leave some to garnish! Mix together and let heat up but not come to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
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Serve immediately once soup is warmed in bowls - garnish with green onions, extra bacon bits and extra shredded cheese
This recipe was SO flavorful and made a good amount with plenty of leftovers. Would highly recommend for those looking for a cozy meal. Would go great with fresh bread and/or a salad!
Thank you so much for the awesome review, Kristel! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Absolutely delicious recipe! Made it for me and my roommate (both college students) and we loved it! The instructions were easy to follow, the process was easy enough even with our limited supplies, and the final product was super creamy and flavorful. Would recommend a dinner roll or other bread for dipping, game changer! Thank you so much for sharing :]
thank you SO much, Bow!! So so glad that you enjoyed this cozy recipe!!! -Haylie
Made this for work and it was a hit! Everyone loved it and said how amazing it was, we will definitely be making it again!
Audrey, this makes me so happy!!! Thank you so much! So glad you and your work fam enjoyed it 🙂
Super delicious, a keeper per the main squeeze ;)> T♥Y
Hi Correen!! Thank you SO much for this review! So glad you and your squeeze enjoyed!!!
Just a delightful dish! My boyfriend loved it, I loved it and our dog even liked it. Very tasty. I even added a half cup of cream cheese to it. Highly recommend!
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for making this recipe! So glad you and the whole family enjoyed 🙂
Hi, what is half/ half?
I am from South Africa and would like to try this recipe.
Hi! Half and half is a combination of heavy whipping cream and milk (50% milk, 50% whipping cream)! I hope you’re able to make the recipe, Corinne! 🙂
I first made this chowder for my Pastor’s family, when she was recovering from surgery. They loved it, and wanted the recipe. Since then I have made it again, and shared the recipe again! I can’t say enough about this yummy chowder, the recipe will remain a family fav for generations!
Thank you so much for this glowing review, Lorna!!! Makes me so happy!!!
Little different comment than normal, I’m a 26 year old metalhead guy that loves cooking tasty meals, and this recipe is exactly what I was looking for. I will be making it for years to come, added green chili to mine
Yay! This is awesome!! 🙂 So glad to hear you enjoyed, Tyler!!
This recipe was the bomb! I didn’t add flour and with my immersion blender blended some of the potatoes. The texture is absolutely gorgeous and great flavors too! My husband said it’s a keeper and I had dinner ready in 30 mins or less! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Barb! I’m so so glad you and the hubs enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Would I need to alter anything if using oat milk cream?
Hey, Kristen! I don’t think you would need to alter anything! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Hello ,
Just wanting to know if this can be frozen?
Hi KJ! I personally haven’t frozen it so I’m not sure. If you end up freezing it, let me know how it turns out! -Haylie
DELISH!! Doubled for a crowd and got so many comments. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Yay! This makes me so happy 🙂 so glad you and the crowd enjoyed!
I added a can of corn and used medium white cheddar cheese. We have a new favorite in our house. Thank you so much for the recipe.
David! This makes me so happy 🙂 Thank you so much for the review and so glad you and your family enjoyed it!! -Haylie
I cook for myself and two very big (tall) guys. They are picky eaters. I am not. Finding balance can be difficult. This was a huge hit though! Used my own homemade chicken broth and added diced carrots to the onions. Had to omit to sour cream because they would never! Lol! Used heavy cream and milk, generous on the cream. The texture was perfect. Delicious!
Hi Sallie! This makes me oh so happy! I’m so glad you and the guys enjoyed this recipe! 🙂 -Haylie
I made this on a snow-in day. Made minor mods, due to what I had on hand. So fabulous. I would make it again!
Robin! This makes me so happy 🙂 The perfect meal for a snowy day! -Haylie