Loaded Baked Potato Chowder with Bacon

Name: Loaded Baked Potato Chowder with Bacon
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h 16 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 medium (about 8 oz each) (900 g) russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried, pricked all over with a fork; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt; 8 slices (8 oz) (225 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces; 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice; 1 large rib (60 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch dice; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced; ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour; 3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or warm; 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; ½ tsp (1 g) smoked paprika; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ¾ cup (180 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature; 6 oz (about 1½ cups) (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded from a block; 4 whole (60 g) green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate; hot sauce, to taste, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, creamy chowder built on oven-baked russets, crisp bacon, sharp cheddar and a swirl of sour cream, finished with green onions. It tastes like a fully loaded baked potato in a bowl, and it's a great way to use leftover baked potatoes.

Prep: 36 min
Cook: 1 hr 40 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 2 hr 36 min
Makes: About 2½ quarts (6 generous bowls)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the baked potatoes
4 medium (about 8 oz each) (900 g) russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried, pricked all over with a fork
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
For the chowder
8 slices (8 oz) (225 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 large rib (60 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced
¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or warm
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
½ tsp (1 g) smoked paprika
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
¾ cup (180 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
6 oz (about 1½ cups) (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded from a block
4 whole (60 g) green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
hot sauce, to taste, for serving (optional)

Equipment (7)

Rimmed baking sheet
5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) Dutch oven or heavy soup pot
Large skillet or use the soup pot for the bacon
Slotted spoon
Whisk
Potato masher or sturdy wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Short on time? Use about 2 lb (900 g) of leftover baked russet potatoes and skip steps 1–2 (just cool and cube them).
Shred the cheddar from a block yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking starch and can make the chowder grainy.
Let the sour cream and milk sit out while the potatoes bake so they are less likely to curdle when added.
Total time is about 2½ hours, but most of it is hands-off oven time for the potatoes.

1
Bake the potatoesOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F (200°C).
- Rub the pricked potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with the ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Set them directly on the oven rack with a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips (or place them on the sheet).
- Bake for 55–65 minutes.
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Ready when: Skins are crisp and a knife slides into the center with no resistance; internal temperature is about 210°F (99°C).
Tip: Pricking the skins lets steam escape so the potatoes don't burst.
2
Cool and cube
- Let the potatoes cool on the sheet for 20 minutes, until you can handle them comfortably.
- Cut them into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, skins on.
- You should have about 5 cups.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Cubes hold their shape and aren't steaming hot to the touch.
Tip: Cutting them warm rather than fully cold keeps them from crumbling less, but too hot makes them fall apart, so wait the full 20 minutes.
3
Crisp the bacon
- Place the chopped bacon in a cold 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring every minute or two, for 8–10 minutes.
- Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, leaving the browned bits in the pot.
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Ready when: Bacon pieces are deep golden brown and crisp, with the fat fully rendered.
Tip: Starting in a cold pot renders the fat gently so the bacon crisps instead of burning.
4
Soften the vegetables
- Add the butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery and the white parts of the green onions.
- Cook, stirring often, for 6–7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning, and the garlic smells fragrant.
Tip: Reduce the heat if the vegetables start to brown; browned bits will darken the chowder.
5
Make the roux
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes so the flour coats everything and cooks off its raw taste.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like a thick, pale paste and smells lightly toasty.
6
Whisk in the broth
- Pour in the chicken broth about ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, whisking well after each addition and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom.
- Once all the broth is added, raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, about 3 minutes.
- The liquid will thicken slightly.
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Ready when: The broth is smooth with no flour lumps and coats the back of a spoon lightly.
Tip: Adding the broth gradually prevents lumps.
7
Simmer with potatoes
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the cubed potatoes and the 0.75 tsp kosher salt.
- Simmer gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use a potato masher to mash about a quarter of the potatoes right in the pot, 5 or 6 presses, to thicken the base while leaving plenty of chunks.
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Ready when: The soup is noticeably thicker and some potato pieces have broken down into the broth.
Tip: Stir from the bottom so the thickened base doesn't scorch.
8
Add the milk
- Stir in the milk and half of the crisp bacon.
- Heat over low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until steaming hot with small bubbles at the edge.
- Do not let it boil.
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Ready when: Steam rises from the surface and the chowder is about 165°F (74°C) with tiny bubbles at the edge, not a rolling boil.
Tip: Boiling after the milk goes in can make the chowder separate.
9
Stir in sour cream and cheese
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in the sour cream until fully blended, then add the cheddar in three handfuls, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next.
- Let sit off the heat for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
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Ready when: The chowder is creamy and smooth, with no visible streaks of sour cream or strings of unmelted cheese.
Tip: Adding sour cream and cheese off the heat prevents curdling and graininess.
10
Season and serve
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed; the bacon and cheese vary in saltiness.
- Ladle into warm bowls and top with the remaining bacon and the sliced green onion tops.
- Add hot sauce at the table if you like.
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Ready when: Flavor is well balanced: savory, smoky and tangy, not flat.
Tip: If the chowder is thicker than you like, thin it with a splash of warm milk or broth.

Good to know

Tips

Leave the skins on for flavor and texture; they soften as the chowder simmers.
Mashing only part of the potatoes gives a creamy body without turning the soup into a purée.
Keep the heat low once the dairy goes in. Gentle heat keeps the chowder smooth.
Season at the end. Bacon, broth and cheese all add salt, so the amount needed varies.

Make ahead

"Bake the potatoes up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate whole. The chowder base (through step 8) can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated; reheat gently over low heat, then finish with the sour cream, cheese and toppings (steps 9–10). Keep the remaining bacon separate so it stays crisp."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring often, and thin with a splash of milk if needed; do not boil. Not recommended for freezing, because the potatoes turn grainy and the dairy can separate. Store extra toppings separately and add them fresh."

Substitutions

russet potatoes → Yukon Gold potatoes. Bake the same way; they hold their shape better and give a slightly less fluffy, buttery texture.
full-fat sour cream → plain full-fat Greek yogurt. Same amount; it's tangier. Stir it in off the heat and don't reheat to boiling.
whole milk → half-and-half. Swap 1:1 for a richer chowder.
low-sodium chicken broth → vegetable broth. Use low-sodium; the bacon still gives smoky flavor.