Baked Potato Soup With Bacon & Cheddar
It's officially toque season here in Alberta! Well, not all day, but definitely in the crisp mornings! We've been dropping below freezing for the past week or so. The animals still need choring so that means the toques come out!
The cold weather also makes me want to hunker down and eat cozy meals that will warm my insides up when my toes and fingers are chilly!
That means it's officially soup season!
We often make a BIG pot of soup each week in hopes that it will last us for a couple of meals or for a meal and a few lunches.
Baked potato soup happens to be one of our favorites! You can't beat the taste of bacon wrapped up in a creamy soup!
So here goes! Find our recipe for baked potato soup below. To make it mimic baked potatoes, add grated cheddar and some diced green onions on top!
A tip for cooking bacon:
If you are needing "crumbled" or "bacon bits" for your recipes, grab a pair of clean kitchen scissors and cut your bacon strips into small pieces prior to frying your bacon. This makes it SO much easier than cooking the bacon in strips and crumbling or cutting the bacon afterwards! Just cut the bacon and fry it in a cast iron pan. Transfer the cooked bacon bits to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess bacon grease. Cool and store the bacon bits in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Don't forget to save your bacon grease!
After cooking your bacon, let the bacon grease cool to around room temperature. Drain the bacon grease through a cheesecloth or a metal sieve to remove any pieces of bacon left in the bacon grease. You can store the bacon fat at room temperature for up to a month or two. Or store it in the fridge for up to 6 months.
Use your bacon grease for:
- greasing the baking dish for any dish
- frying eggs or veggies on the stovetop
- replace butter for roasted veggies, potatoes, and other dishes
- substitute for butter in cookies, pastries, breads, buns, and more!
Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, butter, bacon grease, or lard
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 6 large potatoes, diced into bite size pieces
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 4 cups bone broth (chicken, beef, or pork)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup cream
- 3/4 cup cooked, diced bacon
- salt & pepper to taste
- for topping: grated cheddar, diced green onions, bacon pieces
Instructions:
Over medium heat, melt bacon grease/lard/butter. Add onions and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Slowly add bone broth about a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Be careful not to add the bone broth too quickly as the flour may get clumpy. Add potatoes and carrots and stir.
Bring soup to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
If the soup is not thick enough at this point, you may mix 2 tablespoons of flour with a 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, mix very well, then add to the soup. This will help to thicken the soup.
Add the cream and bacon to the soup. Bring back to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce back to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.
Serve with grated cheddar and diced green onions to mimic your favorite baked potato!
Where to find our favorite kitchen tools for bacon and soups (affiliate links)?
A dutch oven is a must for soups & chilis! Dutch oven: https://amzn.to/3mOQKiB
Use a cast iron fry pan for cooking your bacon pieces: https://amzn.to/3ACTMv9
A metal sieve is essential for draining your bacon grease: https://amzn.to/3aD2MWS
Disclaimer:
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. Thank you supporting the blog and helping us continue to make free content each week!