Fully Loaded Smashed Potato Soup

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword best-potato-soup, loaded-potato-soup, loaded-smashed-potato-soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 606kcal

Cook potatoes in a large deep pot with chicken stock for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
Meanwhile, add bacon drippings and butter to a 4 quart pot.
Cook onion in drippings over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer. Whisk in flour, stir until flour is absorbed, cook for 1 minute.
Over medium-high heat, whisk half and half into roux. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer while gently bubbling for 5 minutes to thicken. Add seasoned salt, pepper and old bay, if using. Mix well.
Add 2 cups cheese to thickened sauce. Mix until melted. Remove from heat. The sauce will be thick.
Once potatoes are cooked, don't drain. Use a potato masher to smash in the chicken stock, to your desired consistency, leaving some chunks. Pour cheese sauce into the pot with the smashed potatoes. Mix well.
Simmer on medium-low uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce and thicken. You may adjust thickness further by using a slurry of cold water and flour or cornstarch to your personal taste. You may also think using additional stock to suit your taste.
At the end of cooking, add 1/2 sour cream, bacon and green onions. Reserve bacon and green onion for top
Garnish with remaining cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions before serving.

Potatoes - You can use Yukon Golds or golden potatoes, russet potatoes or red potatoes in this recipe. Golden potatoes have such a buttery texture making them my first choice.
Bacon - If you prefer, you could use ham in place of bacon.
Half and Half - You can use heavy cream in place of half and half or milk.
Adjust the Texture to Taste - When smashing the potatoes, you can make them as smooth or leave them as chunky as you like. The starch from the potatoes will also help to thicken the soup broth.
Cheese - I highly recommend using a sharp cheddar cheese for the robust flavor it gives to the potato soup overall, I also recommend shredding the cheese yourself for the best flavor.
Why Old Bay Seasoning? As unconventional as it may seem, it just gives a little something special to the flavor of this potato soup recipe. If you don't have Old Bay, use a similar seafood seasoning that you enjoy or replace it with creole or cajun seasoning.
Thin or Thicken - The thickness of this potato soup can be adjusted at the end of cooking. You can further thin the soup using additional chicken stock or half and half. Likewise, you can thicken it, by dissolving 1-2 tablespoons of all purpose flour or cornstarch in just enough cold water or milk for it to dissolve. Use a large whisk and whisk it into the hot soup. Repeat until the desired consistency is reached.