Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Polish people and potatoes — name a more iconic duo. This soup is my love letter to the humble potato, and if that sounds dramatic, you haven’t met enough Polish people. We put potatoes in dumplings, under dumplings, next to dumplings, and now in soup. It’s not a problem. It’s a lifestyle.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2.2kg; yes, Russets. They break down and create the creamy texture.
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth 1.5L
- 1 cup heavy cream 240ml
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed 225g
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar 200g
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
For Topping
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar
- Chopped chives or green onions
Method
Crockpot Method (Preferred)
-
Add the cubed potatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to the crockpot. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until potatoes are fall-apart tender. Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot — leave some chunks for texture. Stir in the cream cheese (it’ll melt right in), heavy cream, and shredded cheddar. Stir until everything is melted and creamy. Taste and adjust salt.
Stovetop Method
-
In a large pot, cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter for 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 20-25 minutes until potatoes are very tender. Mash partially, then stir in cream cheese, cream, and cheddar. Same result, less waiting.
Serve
-
Ladle into bowls. Top with crumbled bacon, sour cream, more shredded cheese, and chives. Hand everyone a spoon and thick slice of bread. This is not a dainty soup. This is a bear-hug-in-a-bowl situation. Embrace it.
Notes
Keeps in the fridge for 5 days and reheats beautifully on the stovetop — add a splash of broth if it’s thickened. This is excellent meal prep. Freezes okay for 2-3 months, though the texture changes slightly (it gets thicker and a bit grainy). A good stir and some extra broth fixes it after thawing.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup — Every Topping, One Bowl
Polish people and potatoes — name a more iconic duo. This soup is my love letter to the humble potato, and if that sounds dramatic, you haven’t met enough Polish people. We put potatoes in dumplings, under dumplings, next to dumplings, and now in soup. It’s not a problem. It’s a lifestyle.
Loaded potato soup is basically a baked potato you can eat with a spoon. Creamy, thick, loaded with cheese, bacon, sour cream, and chives — everything that makes a baked potato worth eating, but in liquid form. My babcia (that’s grandma in Polish) would have called this “very American” and then eaten two bowls, because babcia was nothing if not consistent in her ability to critique food while enthusiastically eating it.
I make this in the crockpot because the potatoes get impossibly soft and the flavours develop over hours without me doing anything. It’s a “set it and forget it” dinner that smells so good all afternoon that my kids start asking “is it ready yet?” approximately 47 times before it actually is.
Why This Soup Works
Potato soup sounds plain, but loaded potato soup is anything but. The potatoes break down into a creamy, thick base. The cheese melts into it and adds richness. The bacon adds smoke and salt. And the toppings — sour cream, more cheese, chives, more bacon — turn each bowl into a customisable experience. My four kids all load theirs differently: the oldest goes heavy on bacon, my daughter adds extra sour cream, and the two middle ones just want cheese on cheese on cheese. Everyone’s happy. Nobody fights. Potato soup is a peacekeeper.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- • 5 pounds (2.2kg) Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed — yes, Russets. They break down and create the creamy texture.
- • 1 large onion, diced
- • 4 cloves garlic, minced
- • 6 cups (1.5L) chicken broth
- • 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, cubed
- • 2 cups (200g) shredded sharp cheddar
- • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- • Salt and pepper
For Topping
- • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- • Sour cream
- • Shredded cheddar
- • Chopped chives or green onions
How to Make It
Crockpot Method (Preferred)
Add the cubed potatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to the crockpot. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until potatoes are fall-apart tender. Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot — leave some chunks for texture. Stir in the cream cheese (it’ll melt right in), heavy cream, and shredded cheddar. Stir until everything is melted and creamy. Taste and adjust salt.
Stovetop Method
In a large pot, cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter for 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 20-25 minutes until potatoes are very tender. Mash partially, then stir in cream cheese, cream, and cheddar. Same result, less waiting.
Serve
Ladle into bowls. Top with crumbled bacon, sour cream, more shredded cheese, and chives. Hand everyone a spoon and thick slice of bread. This is not a dainty soup. This is a bear-hug-in-a-bowl situation. Embrace it.
The Polish Potato Connection
Growing up in a Polish household, potatoes were sacred. Boiled potatoes with dill and butter served alongside every meal. Kopytka (potato dumplings). Placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes). Pierogi stuffed with potatoes. Kluski slaskie (more potato dumplings). We didn’t eat potatoes as a side dish — we built an entire culinary identity around them.
Loaded potato soup is the American expression of that same devotion. It’s everything Polish people have always known: potatoes are perfect, and the more you do with them, the better they get. When I made this for my mama and told her it’s called “loaded baked potato soup,” she said “we’ve been doing this forever, we just didn’t give it a fancy name.” She’s not wrong.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Don’t peel all the potatoes. Leave the skin on some cubes — it adds texture and nutrients. Or peel them all if you prefer a smoother soup. Both work.
✓ Mash partially. Fully smooth potato soup is fine but boring. Leave some chunks for texture contrast. The creamy-plus-chunky combination is what makes this feel hearty instead of pureed.
✓ Add cream cheese. This is the secret ingredient that makes the soup incredibly velvety without needing to add a truckload of cream. It melts into the hot soup and disappears into the texture.
✓ Cook the bacon separately. Crispy bacon on top stays crispy. Bacon cooked in the soup gets soft and loses its crunch, and the crunch is the point.
Variations
• Broccoli cheddar potato soup: Add 2 cups chopped broccoli in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Two comfort soups in one.
• Polish kielbasa version: Top with sliced, browned kielbasa instead of (or in addition to) bacon. The smokiness is incredible.
• Lighter version: Use whole milk instead of cream, skip the cream cheese, and reduce the cheddar by half. Still creamy, less indulgent.
• Spicy: Stir in diced pickled jalapenos and use pepper jack instead of cheddar. My husband’s favourite version and the one I make when the kids eat elsewhere.
How to Store
Keeps in the fridge for 5 days and reheats beautifully on the stovetop — add a splash of broth if it’s thickened. This is excellent meal prep. Freezes okay for 2-3 months, though the texture changes slightly (it gets thicker and a bit grainy). A good stir and some extra broth fixes it after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different potato?
Russets work best because they’re starchy and break down, creating the thick, creamy base. Yukon Gold will work but won’t break down as much — you’ll get a chunkier soup. Red potatoes stay too firm. For loaded potato soup, Russets are the answer.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Use vegetable broth and skip the bacon (or use a veggie bacon alternative). The cheese, cream, and potatoes carry more than enough flavour. Top with roasted chickpeas for crunch if you’re missing the bacon texture.
Why is my soup too thick?
Potatoes absorb liquid as the soup cools and as it sits in the fridge. Simply add more broth or milk when reheating until you reach your preferred consistency. This is normal potato soup behaviour — not a mistake, just physics.
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