Loaded Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Cheddar and a Cool Dollop on Top

It is 12:10 on a Wednesday, the plan fell over at 9:30, and a bowl of loaded baked potato soup is how you forgive yourself. It takes 31 minutes, and when the bacon hits the pot, the whole apartment starts to behave like you have company.

Bacon fat, potato, cheddar and a dollop of cool sour cream, because you earned the toppings.

The pot does everything. You crisp the bacon and set it aside, soften an onion in the grease, then add the potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until they are very tender. A quick mash against the side gives it body, and sour cream and cheddar melt in to make it smooth. The bacon, chives and more cheese go on top at the end, the way a baked potato wears them.

How to make it

1. Dice the 1 yellow onion and the 2 lbs russet potatoes, about 8 minutes.
2. Chop the 6 strips bacon and cook in a large pot over medium heat until crispy, then remove and set aside, leaving the grease in the pot.
3. Saute the diced onion in the bacon grease for 3 minutes, then add the diced potatoes, the 4 cups chicken broth, salt, and black pepper.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are very tender.
5. Mash about half the potatoes with the back of a spoon for a thick texture.
6. Stir in the 0.5 cups sour cream and 1 cup shredded cheddar until melted and smooth, adding the 1 cup milk if needed to thin.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon bits, extra cheddar if desired, a dollop of sour cream, and the 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days in the fridge, per USDA FSIS. Store the toppings separately from the soup so the bacon stays crisp and the chives stay green, and add them fresh to each bowl.

The soup thickens in the fridge as the potato starch settles. Loosen it with a splash of milk or broth when you reheat, and warm it gently over low heat, stirring, rather than boiling it hard, since dairy can turn grainy at a hard boil.

Loaded baked potato soup does not freeze especially well, because the texture can turn grainy once thawed. If you want to freeze some, do it before the sour cream and cheddar go in, and stir those in after reheating.

Mash only about half the potatoes, as the method says. That leaves some tender chunks to eat, and the mashed half thickens the broth without turning it into paste. A potato masher or the back of a spoon both work.

One batch of bacon, chopped and crisped, does both jobs: it flavors the pot and it tops the bowls.

Crisp the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, and do not drain the grease: the onion softens in it for 3 minutes, and that is where the smoky base of the soup begins. Keep the heat at medium so the bacon crisps without burning, and set it aside on paper towels so it stays crunchy for the topping.

Swaps that actually work

Leave the russet potatoes and the cheddar alone. Russets break down just enough to thicken the soup, and sharp cheddar is the flavor that makes it taste loaded.

Chicken broth can become vegetable broth if you want to skip the meat, though you will want to taste for salt. Plain Greek yogurt can stand in for sour cream, with a slightly tangier finish. Scallion greens can step in for chives. If the soup needs thinning, a splash of any milk or a little extra broth does the job.

Turkey bacon works, though it releases less fat, so the onion may need a little oil to soften. Pre-shredded cheddar melts a bit less smoothly than cheese you grate yourself, which is a small thing but worth knowing if the soup turns stringy.

The swap that costs you the dish: skipping the bacon grease. That fat is the base of the flavor, and the soup tastes thin without it.

Cut the potatoes into pieces about the same size so they cook at one pace. The simmer takes 15 to 20 minutes, and you are looking for pieces that crush easily against the side of the pot. If a few are still firm, give it another few minutes and test again.

If it goes wrong

It is gluey. The potatoes were overworked, or it was mashed too much. Stop mashing when about half are broken down, and if it is already thick, thin it with a splash of broth and stir gently.

The cheese is stringy or grainy. The soup was too hot when the cheese went in, or it boiled afterward. Take the pot off the heat before you stir in the sour cream and cheddar, and add the cheese a handful at a time.

It is watery. The potatoes were not mashed enough, or there was too much liquid. Mash a few more potatoes, simmer it uncovered for a few minutes, and taste again.

It tastes flat. Usually salt. Taste it after the cheese is in, since the bacon and the cheddar both carry salt, then season until it tastes finished.

The soup is bland even with salt. The toppings carry a lot of the flavor in this bowl. Make sure each bowl gets a heap of bacon, a generous handful of cheddar and a spoonful of sour cream, and a little pepper over the top.

What to serve with it

The default is the bowl dressed like a baked potato: soup, bacon, cheddar, sour cream, chives, and a spoon.

The better version of the default is a side salad with a sharp dressing, or a grilled cheese you cut into soldiers for dipping. A few drops of hot sauce on top turns it into a different bowl.

It reheats well for lunch the next day, as long as you loosen it with a splash of broth and warm it gently.

A bowl of loaded baked potato soup is also a good place to use leftover baked potatoes, if you have them, and a way to make a small amount of bacon feel like a feast.

Why this one earns its place

Dinner after a bad day does not need to be clever, and loaded baked potato soup knows it. It is soft, salty, hot and a little smug about it, which is the exact energy you want when you have been holding it together since Monday. Swipe it into your week and the agent can shop the potatoes, bacon and cheddar, so you can stay in the sweater you already have on.

For more soup nights, Panera-style broccoli cheddar soup and butternut squash soup sit close, and the food tinder app post explains the swiping idea behind it all.

More like this: all American recipes in Crave Corner.