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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Thick, creamy potato soup with bacon and cheddar. One of the top-rated recipes on Pinterest and Budget Bytes for years, and one of the better uses of a $4 bag of potatoes.

Total Cost $11.18
Per Serving $2.80
Prep 15 min
Cook 35 min
Servings 4
  • pork
  • potatoes
  • soup
  • comfort-food
  • high-protein

Ingredients

  • 1 kg russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced $0.44
  • 150 g bacon, roughly chopped $2.80
  • 1 medium onion, diced $1.23
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced $0.24
  • 900 mL chicken broth $1.50
  • 250 mL milk $0.38
  • 2 tbsp butter $0.38
  • 3 tbsp flour $0.05
  • 100 g shredded cheddar cheese $1.87
  • 0.5 cup sour cream $0.75
  • 3 green onions, sliced $1.00
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika $0.03
  • to taste salt and black pepper $0.03
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder $0.03
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder $0.03
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) $0.02
  • 1 tbsp chives or extra green onion (optional) $0.40
  • Recipe total$11.18

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
  2. Add onion to the pot. Cook in the bacon fat for 5 minutes until softened.
  3. Add garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Cook 1 minute.
  4. Add butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes.
  5. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
  6. Add the diced potatoes and cayenne if using. Bring to a boil.
  7. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 15–18 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.
  8. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash roughly half the potatoes against the side of the pot. This thickens the soup without blending it.
  9. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the milk. Heat gently for 3 minutes — do not boil.
  10. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and half the cheddar.
  11. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
  12. Serve topped with remaining cheddar, bacon, and green onions.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.

488 Calories
20g Protein
50g Carbs
23g Fat
4g Fiber
820mg Sodium
~10% DV Iron~20% DV Calcium~25% DV Vitamin C

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace flour with cornstarch (use 1.5 tbsp instead of 3 tbsp, dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water before adding) (no meaningful cost difference)

Potatoes, bacon, and dairy are naturally gluten-free. Use a GF broth and cornstarch thickener to make this fully GF.

Budget Notes

  • Sodium is high. The bacon and broth together contribute most of it. Use low-sodium broth if this is a concern.
  • Potatoes vary significantly in price in Ontario. A 10 lb bag is almost always a better deal per kilogram than a 5 lb bag.
  • The sour cream and second portion of cheddar are listed as toppings and can be reduced or skipped to cut cost by about $1.50.
  • This keeps well for 3–4 days but thickens considerably in the fridge. Add a splash of milk when reheating.