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Smoked Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup

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We took everything that we love about a baked potato and we made a smoky, cheesy baked potato soup perfect for the Fall. With freshly grated cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and the perfect not-too-thick, chowder-like consistency, this loaded potato soup is comfort food in a bowl!

loaded baked potato soup with cheese and bacon

Loaded Baked Potato Soup Video

More of a visual learner? Watch me make this recipe on my YouTube channel here:

Ingredients and Notes

  • baking or Russet potatoes – These two are actually the same exact type of potato, people just call them by different names. I prefer baking potatoes for this baked potato soup.
  • chicken broth – We actually used chicken bone broth. Use your favorite variety, or you can make your own.
  • diced onions and jalapeños – Just enough to give your soup a bit of heat and sweetness. Remove the seeds and ribs from the fresh jalapeno for less spice.
  • cheddar cheese and bacon – We smoked these two ingredients on the pellet grill for an extra oomph of flavor… it gives your soup a subtle smokiness that takes it from good to great!
  • heavy cream or half and half
  • salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried parsley, and cayenne pepper

Cold Smoking the Cheese for Extra Flavor

You can definitely make this loaded baked potato soup recipe with regular shredded cheddar, but if you’ve ever watched any of my grilling YouTube videos, you know that I firmly believe in small steps to elevate the flavors of my dishes. And using freshly smoked cheese does just that!

I’ve got a full guide on how to cold smoke cheese here – and surprise, you don’t even need a smoker! Just a smoke tube and some wood pellets or wood chips and you can smoke your own cheese at home!

cold smoking cheese on a grill

After the cheese is done smoking, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to grate it for the soup. You can even smoke the cheese a day or two ahead of time if you wish.

Preparing the Potatoes for Baked Potato Soup

While the cheese is smoking, go ahead and prep the potatoes. Simply scrub and wash the potatoes to remove any excess dirt, and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the skins off. I actually leave about half of the skins on for extra flavor and texture – my potatoes look like zebra stripes – but you can remove all of the skin if you prefer.

baking potatoes that have been washed, peeled, and cut into cubes

Then, dice the potatoes into cubes that are about 1/2″ square, and soak in cold water in a large bowl to remove any excess starch.

While the potatoes are soaking, you can dice the vegetables for the soup and prep the other ingredients.

How to Make Smoky Loaded Potato Soup

Once the cheese and bacon are done smoking, you’re ready to start making your smoky, cheesy potato soup. Just follow these easy steps:

collage showing steps to make cheesy loaded potato soup
  1. Drain the peeled and cubed potatoes, and add to a large pot with chicken broth. Boil the potatoes in the broth until tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on the number of potatoes.
  2. In a separate skillet, brown the smoked chopped bacon until it’s crispy and the fat has rendered out. Then, add the diced onion and jalapeños to the skillet with the bacon and the bacon grease and sauté until tender. Add a bit of flour to the bacon, vegetables, and grease to form a roux (or paste) of sorts. This will help to thicken the soup. Set the bacon and vegetable mixture to the side until ready to add to the soup.
  3. When the potatoes are tender, transfer about 2 cups of the potatoes to a separate bowl. Use a large fork or masher to mash the boiled potatoes to a mashed potato-like consistency. Then add the mashed up potatoes back to the pot with the diced potatoes and chicken broth. This will also act as a thickener for your baked potato soup.
  4. Add the bacon and vegetable mixture to the pot with the potatoes. Then, stir in heavy cream or half and half, and then add in the shredded smoked cheddar cheese. Mix well and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and spices.

And then your delicious, comforting baked potato soup is ready to serve!

We like to top ours with a dollop of sour cream, some crispy chopped bacon, more freshly grated sharp cheddar, and a sprinkle of green onions – all of the ingredients that we love in a loaded baked potato!

cheesy loaded baked potato soup in a bowl

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loaded cheesy baked potato soup with cheese and bacon

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

loaded baked potato soup with cheese and bacon
We took everything that we love about a baked potato and we made a smoky, cheesy baked potato soup perfect for the Fall. With freshly grated cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and the perfect not-too-thick, chowder-like consistency, this loaded potato soup is comfort food in a bowl!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • lbs baking potatoes
  • 32 oz chicken broth
  • 8 oz block of sharp cheddar cheese
  • 10 slices bacon
  • ½ large yellow onion diced
  • 1-2 jalapenos seeded and diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1-2 tablespoons butter *If needed, to add to the flour and bacon grease to make a roux.
  • 2 cups heavy cream or half and half
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika *Or substitute regular paprika.
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ cup sour cream plus more for serving
  • sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

  • Optional – Cold smoke the block of cheddar for about 1½-2 hours. After smoking, wrap the cheese block tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate while the other ingredients are cooking. You can also smoke the cheese 1-2 days before, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Optional – Place the bacon on a wire rack on top of a sheet tray. Smoke on the grill at 225℉ for about 2-2½ hours. Then remove from the grill, allow to cool slightly, and chop into small pieces. Reserve the bacon grease on the sheet tray. *Alternatively, you can chop the bacon slices and cook in a large skillet until crispy, reserving the grease.
  • Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into cubes that are about ½" square. Soak the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes to remove excess starch, then drain.
  • Add the drained potatoes to a large pot with the chicken broth. Boil the potatoes in the broth until tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on the number of potatoes.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, cook the chopped smoked bacon in a skillet over medium heat, rendering out the fat until crispy. Remove some of the chopped bacon to save for garnish/serving.
  • Add the diced onions and jalapeno to the skillet with the remaining bacon and bacon grease. Sauté the vegetables until tender. When vegetables are almost done cooking, add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
  • Add the flour to the skillet with the grease, bacon, and vegetables. Stir the flour in with the bacon grease to form a roux, and cook for about 3 minutes. *If needed, add about 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the bacon grease. Set the bacon and vegetable mixture to the side until ready to add to the soup.
  • When the potatoes are tender, transfer about 2 cups of the potatoes to a separate bowl. Use a large fork or masher to mash the boiled potatoes to a mashed potato-like consistency. Then add the mashed up potatoes back to the pot with the diced potatoes and chicken broth. This will act as a thickener for the baked potato soup.
  • Add the bacon and vegetable mixture to the pot with the potatoes. Then, stir in heavy cream or half and half. Fold in about ¾ of the shredded smoked cheddar cheese, reserving some for garnish. Mix well and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
  • Season the soup with salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Stir in the sour cream.
  • Serve the potato soup with a dollop of sour cream, some crispy chopped bacon, more freshly grated sharp cheddar, and a sprinkle of green onions.

Video

Notes

  • Cook time does not include the smoking time for the cheese and bacon.
  • Cold smoking the cheese and hot smoking the bacon slices adds a nice smoky flavor to this soup.  However, to save time you can skip the smoking steps.  Visit this post for instructions on cold smoking cheese with a smoker tube – https://pelletsandpits.com/cold-smoking-cheese/
  • For a thinner consistency soup, add more half and half or skip the step for mashing up some of the potato pieces.
  • Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 1 week.  Reheat in a microwave-safe bowl or in a pot on the stove until hot.

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