Cheesy Baked Potato Soup
Creamy, loaded potato soup with cheddar cheese and crispy bacon bits, baked until bubbly and golden. A comforting weeknight dinner that tastes fancy but comes together in under 45 minutes.
- Total time
- 42 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 542
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- 2 lb russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, yellow
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 to taste salt and pepper
- 1 small handful fresh chives or sour cream (optional garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Wash the potatoes under cold running water, rub them dry with a clean cloth, and poke each one 5 times with a fork to let steam escape.
- 3
Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack in the center of the hot oven, with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips.
- 4
Bake the potatoes until a fork pierces the largest one with no resistance, about 30 minutes.
- 5
While the potatoes bake, place the onion on a cutting board and cut in half lengthwise from root to tip, then lay each half flat and slice crosswise into thin half-moon pieces, about 1/4-inch thick.
- 6
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter bubbles slightly and foams, about 2 minutes.
- 7
Add the sliced onion to the melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot once every 30 seconds until the onion turns soft and golden, about 6 minutes.
- 8
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir constantly with the wooden spoon for 90 seconds until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- 9
Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the milk slowly while stirring continuously to break up any lumps, until the milk is fully mixed in and smooth.
- 10
Return the pot to medium heat and stir the milk mixture once every 30 seconds until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and steam rises gently, about 8 minutes.
- 11
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese using a wooden spoon until every piece has melted and the mixture looks smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
- 12
Season the cheese sauce with salt and pepper: add a small pinch of each, stir, taste with a spoon, and repeat until it tastes good to you.
- 13
Remove the hot potatoes from the oven using oven mitts and place them on a cutting board until cool enough to touch, about 5 minutes.
- 14
Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the soft inside into the pot with the cheese sauce, leaving a thin shell of potato skin in each halved potato skin.
- 15
Stir the mixture in the pot gently with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until the potato pieces are distributed evenly throughout the cheese sauce.
- 16
Pour the creamy potato mixture from the pot into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom with the spoon.
- 17
Place the baking dish uncovered in the oven and bake until the top looks golden brown with small bubbles around the edges, about 8 minutes.
- 18
Remove the baking dish from the oven using oven mitts and let it rest at room temperature for 3 minutes before serving, so the soup stays thick.
- 19
Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter fresh chopped chives or a dollop of sour cream on top of each bowl, if desired.
Tools you’ll need
- large heavy-bottomed pot
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- baking sheet
- oven mitts
- fork
- ladle
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