Sep 22, 2020 | Recipes, Shelf Cooking
This loaded baked potato soup recipe is sure to be a family favorite during the cold weather! It's super easy, hearty, can feed a crowd, and reheats like new out of the freezer.
Cooler weather calls for warm foods that'll heat you up from the inside out. We call for delicious foods that'll keep you from breaking the budget. Our loaded baked potato soup is the best of both worlds!
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This recipe is not only incredibly quick and easy to toss together, but it's an extremely affordable meal. (Hashtag, WIN-WIN.) It's the perfect shelf cooking recipe since it uses things you most likely have on-hand. It's also a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes!
Plus, creamy soup is the ultimate comfort food, so this soup is basically as functional as a Swiss Army Knife. Ready to see what it's all about? Let's get to it!
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SHELF COOK YOUR WAY THROUGH OUR LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
This recipe is so simple, yet so delicious! There are a number of ways you can change up the different ingredients within this recipe and still turn out with an amazingly tasty loaded baked potato soup. #ShelfCooking for the win!
- Potatoes – The recipe calls for freshly diced potatoes, but you can totally make potato soup from mashed potatoes or leftover baked potatoes! When you use leftover potatoes, it just cuts down on the cooking time. You'll have a steaming, hearty bowl of loaded baked potato soup in front of you in no time! Use the same amount of potatoes and add directly to the milk pot to heat up.
- Onion – Talk about a great way to flavor your loaded potato soup! The recipe calls for a freshly diced onion, but you can also use frozen diced onions if you have those instead. You can also use dried, minced onion or onion powder to taste to get that delicious flavor.
- Milk – Any type of milk will work, but skim may be a bit thinner than if you use higher fat milk. You can also substitute in half and half or heavy cream for a portion of the milk if you don't have enough regular milk, but going over half may make it super thick! Dairy-free milks will also work, you'll just have to play around with the different types to see what your family likes best.
- Chicken Bouillon Seasoning – We always keep Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base in stock. It's a definite kitchen staple around here! You can also use the chicken bouillon cubes or plain ol' chicken broth or stock.
- Corn – Canned corn is simple, but you can also leftover corn on the cob (cut off the cob, of course) or frozen corn. If you go for frozen, give it plenty of time to heat up in the soup or thaw it in the microwave and drain before adding it to the soup.
- Bacon – We love bacon bits because they'll keep forever in the refrigerator or freezer! You can also cook up your own bacon and chop it up before adding it to your loaded baked potato soup.
Pro Tip: If you want a less chunky soup, then use a potato masher once it comes to a boil to knock down any of larger chunks. If you want a super creamy soup, use an immersion blender to get rid of all the chunks!
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS
Eat them, of course! 😉 You may be surprised, but the loaded baked potato soup leftovers are somehow even better than when it's freshly made. They'll keep for up to a week in the fridge and you can either reheat in individual bowls in the microwave or on the stovetop.
HOW TO FREEZE AND THAW LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
This soup freezes spectacularly well! Put it in an airtight freezer container, allow to cool, and stick it in the freezer until you're ready for an easy meal. When that time comes, stick it in the fridge overnight to thaw. Then, reheat it in your soup pot on the stove, low and slow.
You'll never believe that the weird-looking glob of potatoes in your pot will eventually turn back into the creamy potato soup that we all know and love! Just keep stirring it and it'll magically come back to life in no time, right before your eyes.
THE EASIEST POTATO SOUP RECIPE
This recipe is so delicious, you'll be drooling by the time it's done cooking! Stick to the recipe or use what you've got and make substitutions… Either way, it'll be your new favorite loaded baked potato soup recipe. You can thank us later. 😉
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
This creamy potato soup is so easy to put together and it freezes really well!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups potatoes, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon seasoning
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 6 cups milk
- 2 cans corn, drained
- 1 cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup bacon bits
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Onion powder, to taste
- 2 Tbsp ranch dressing seasoning
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
In a small pot, add diced potatoes and onions. Add water until potatoes are just covered. Stir in bouillon.
Bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour until smooth and thick.
Gradually stir in milk 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly until thickened.
Stir in the drained potato & onion mixture and the corn.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Add salt, pepper, and additional seasonings to taste.
Stir in sour cream and bacon.
Serve in bowls and top with cheddar cheese and parsley or chives for garnish.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for at least 6 months.
To reheat frozen soup, thaw in the fridge the night before. Then reheat low and slow on the stove. It'll look like it's never going to come back to life, but keep stirring and as it heats up, it'll look just like it did when you first made it!
Keyword freezer, hearty, leftovers
So easy, right? Our loaded baked potato soup recipe can feed an army, but feel free to double or triple the recipe (as long as you have a large enough stockpot!) if you need to feed more people. Serve with your favorite crusty bread and you'll have a new family favorite!
Easy peasy, right? Give our loaded baked potato soup a try! Let us know if your family loves it as much as ours in the comments below. Just don't stress out so much about the recipe. It really is fail-proof. Add ingredients until it tastes good and POOF. There you go!
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Looking for more great ideas?
- Stick to your grocery budget by shelf cooking with recipes like this delicious potato soup!
- Learn how to meal plan with easy meals like this and make your week a whole lot easier!
- You don't want to miss out on our easy and delicious taco soup recipe!
Bon Appetit!
Christineon October 24, 2018 at 2:00 pm
Can I use frozen diced potatoes?
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FunCheapOrFreeon October 24, 2018 at 2:37 pm
Sure! I think that would work great!
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Samon October 24, 2018 at 5:14 pm
Do you drain the potato mixture before combining it with the milk mixture??
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Beccaon October 29, 2018 at 7:50 pm
I’m wondering the same thing.
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Jamieon October 31, 2018 at 10:32 am
I did! The consistency came out right for the soup after draining the potatoes and onion mix before adding it to the thickened milk.
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Debbieon October 24, 2018 at 7:48 pm
I made a verrrry similar version on Monday. If you don’t want to be in front of the stove, I made mine in the instant pot. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, while it’s cooking I made the roux in the microwave—melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. That was a game changer for me right there. Add milk and Better Than Boullion and whatever other spices to the roux. When potatoes are done, dump the water and pull out the potatoes. Give a little mash to the potatoes and put in the instant pot with roux mixture. With the pot on sauté add in the sour cream, cheese and bacon bits, corn, etc. 15 minutes and you have soup!
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Beeon December 6, 2018 at 3:42 pm
You are a QUEEN! I was praying for an INstantpot version. Thank you!
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Jenniferon October 24, 2018 at 7:52 pm
He’s SO beautiful! What a great picture! Congratulations 🙂 <3
The soup looks fantastic. Would take me way longer than 10 minutes though. It takes me forever to peel potatoes, lol!Reply
Sandieon October 25, 2018 at 12:01 pm
I can not have gluten or dairy. Would this recipe work with almond milk, and a gluten free flour? Would I need to substitute the sour cream or just leave it out? And is there a good alternative to cheese? I have heard of vegan cheese but am not sure where to get any or really anything about it.
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Kimon October 25, 2018 at 12:44 pm
I literally did everything wrong in this recipe (didn’t have bullion, substituted spices, added coffee creamer bc I didn’t have enough milk, used some gravy mix instead of ranch, roux was chunky) and it STILL came out great! Jordan, you are a master of fool-proof recipes.
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Mary LaFranceon October 26, 2018 at 11:12 am
Can’t wait to try this one out. It’s like a cross between cream of potato and corn chowder.
P.S. Your website is adorable. I like the tile pattern in the background, your fonts and color combinations. It’s very nicely designed and easy to navigate.Reply
Jamieon October 31, 2018 at 10:38 am
Thanks for the recipe, Jordan! I had most of the ingredients in my kitchen already and decided to give this a try. It took me more like 40 minutes to make, including prep time and boiling the potatoes – but it came out great! I have been taking it to work with me all week for lunches. Looking forward to trying out more shelf-inspired recipes 🙂
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Sarahon November 8, 2018 at 8:11 pm
Horn much off the bouillon base do you use? I need measurements or I wind up with flavorless mess or something that will make your blood pressure shoot sky high.
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Josephine (dutch)on November 17, 2018 at 8:36 pm
Made it, loved it. But only 1 of my kids did too. Not giving up yet, I’ll see what I can adjust.
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Mari Bellon November 17, 2018 at 9:58 pm
Loved this! But it took WAY LONGER than 10 minutes!!! (Like an hour total!!) But worth it! And it made a TON (like my large pot couldn’t hold it all!) I made a few changes and it was delish! Thanks, Jordan!
6 cups of potatoes, diced (I prob used less)
1 small onion, diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
4-5 carrots, diced
2 T Better than Bouillon
1 T minced garlic
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
4 cups milk
2 cans of corn, drained (or frozen would work)
2 T ranch seasoning
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic salt
1 t pepper
1/2 c sour cream
1 c bacon bits
1 c Shredded cheddar cheeseIn an extra large pot, add diced potatoes, onions, carrots and celery. Add water until vegetables are just covered. Stir in bouillon. Bring to a boil, boil until potatoes are tender. Add minced garlic at some point.
Meanwhile, in a medium stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and thick. Gradually stir in milk 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly until thickened. Add cheese and whisk until melted.
Pour into vegetable mixture. Add and the corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add ranch, onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper to taste (recipe is approximations)
Stir in sour cream and bacon. Top each bowl with cheddar cheese and pinch of parsley or chives for a pretty garnish. Serve with rolls or crusty bread, and enjoy!Reply
Samantha Ruzichon December 1, 2018 at 3:10 pm
This soup came out sooo good! I even used my instant pot!
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Connieon January 16, 2019 at 2:26 pm
Can you freeze this?
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FunCheapOrFreeon January 20, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Yes!
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Katie Pon February 19, 2019 at 3:39 pm
Everyone loved this – thanks so much! It came at a perfect time for me to use up the potatoes that had started going soft in my pantry. Perfect!
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FunCheapOrFreeon February 23, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Oh I am so happy to hear that!
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Tatianaon March 6, 2019 at 10:54 am
This sounds delicious!
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Kara Con September 17, 2021 at 3:47 pm
We absolutely LOVED this recipe! We’re not big onion folks around here, so I only used onion onion powder when adding seasoning and additionally added 1 tsp of garlic. I expected to have plenty to freeze for another meal but it was gone when we had leftovers the next day. This soup has become a staple in our recipe book!Reply
Fun Cheap or Freeon September 20, 2021 at 8:14 am
So glad you loved it!
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