Fully loaded baked potato chowder with the creamiest, cheesy soup base. Packed full of little red potatoes, bacon, onion, carrots and corn to make it extra hearty. Don't forget to top it with chives!
Watch the video step by step and see just how easy this recipe is to prepare.
Recipe originally published on 12/23/2019.
If you are a baked potato (with all the fixings) fan, then this baked potato chowder recipe is for you!
You'll love just how easy this recipe is to make, it takes around 30 minutes and has a minimal effort cleanup. You can look forward to big pieces of red potato, carrots and a silky smooth chowder base.
My secret to making the super extra rich and creamy is by mixing both sour cream and cheddar cheese in the broth.
And no baked potato is fully loaded without the bacon and chives. There is bacon in the soup but you could also set some aside to sprinkle on top. The saltiness of the bacon is a perfect match to the creamy cheesy chowder broth.
The end result tastes just like a baked potato. I dare you not to make this over and over again.
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Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients with the amounts please refer to the recipe card at the end of the post.
- bacon
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- flour
- chicken broth
- petite red potatoes
- carrots
- frozen corn
- half and half
- cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- salt and pepper
- chives
Soup vs. Chowder?
Ever wondered what in the world the difference is between soup and chowder? How do you distinguish between the two? Read on!
Soup consists of a both, it's usually thinner. Like this Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup.
Chowder is thicker and creamier. It's made with some kind of cream or milk.
The chowder base for this baked potato chowder is a mixture of chicken broth, half and half, sharp cheddar cheese and a bit of sour cream.
Which makes it so delicious!
How To Get A Smooth Chowder
Getting a smooth chowder base all boils down to patience and taking your time to incorporate ingredients gradually.
First you'll need to make a roux.
To do this, add flour to the butter in your pan, and stir for a minute to cook out any flour taste. It will get thick, like a paste.
Then add in the broth, whisking continuously as you add it.
The trick to adding dairy to your broth is making sure your liquid is on low heat (or no heat) when you add it.
I actually turn the heat off, slowly stir in the half and half then sprinkle in the cheddar mix one small handfull at a time until combined. Same with the sour cream.
Slow and steady wins the race when adding in dairy products. Low heat and continual stirring and you won't have any problems with curdling.
How To Make Baked Potato Chowder
Start by cooking the bacon in a soup pot. Take the bacon out of the pan and chop it up. Drain out any excess grease and wipe the pan out. Make sure to leave any stuck on pieces of bacon because those have tons of flavor!
Add in the olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook this for 3-5 minutes. I like to add a pinch of salt any time I saute onions, it's optional but I like the results.
Mix in the flour and stir for a minute or two then pour in the chicken broth and let it come to a boil.
Add in the red potatoes, carrots, corn and chopped up bacon. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Turn the heat off then slowly add in the half and half, followed by the sour cream, then one handful at a time add in the cheddar cheese.
Scoop into bowls and top with chopped chives!
More Soup Recipes
- Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Soup – a true copycat recipe, this taste just like the original (I’ve been told better)
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – made with egg noodles and all the classic chicken noodle soup ingredients like carrots, celery and onions
- 30 Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup - the best, creamiest, broccoli cheddar soup
- Lasagna Tortellini Soup – if you love lasagna then you will love this soup
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo – served with rice, this comforting gumbo is a family favorite recipe
- Creamy Tomato Red Pepper Tortellini Soup – a little spicy
- Tender Pot Roast French Onion Soup – pot roast, onions and tons of ooey gooey cheese
- Easy Tomato Basil Soup – a classic tomato soup recipe
- Freezer Friendly Chicken Tortilla Soup – this soup freezes like a dream for those nights you just don’t want to cook
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup - soft gnocchi, shredded chicken, vegetables and a creamy savory broth
Loaded Baked Potato Chowder
Fully loaded baked potato chowder with the creamiest, cheesy soup base. Packed full of little red potatoes, bacon, onion, carrots and corn to make it extra hearty. Don't forget to top it with chives!
Ingredients
- ½ lb bacon, cut in half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 3 c chicken broth + extra
- 24 oz petite red potatoes, quartered
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- ½ c frozen corn
- ½ c half and half
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ c sour cream
- ½ scant tsp salt, (only if needed)
- pepper
- chives
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat
- Cut the bacon in half and cook it in the soup pot, drain out on to a paper towel and wipe out the excess bacon fat, but leaving any stuck on bacon bits
- Chop up the bacon into small bits
- Add the olive oil, onion and garlic to the pot, saute for 3-5 minutes
- Mix in 2 tbsp flour, stirring for 1 minute
- Pour in the chicken broth, let it come to a boil
- Add the potatoes, bacon, carrots and corn
- Cover and simmer on med/low 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (add an extra splash of chicken broth if the liquid gets too low)
- Turn the heat off
- Add the half and half, sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream, stirring well in between each addition
- Serve and top with chives
- Add salt to taste if needed
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 457Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1301mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 22g
This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Crystal
Is it possible to freeze this?
Tara Moore
Yes you can. You can transfer and thaw to the fridge when you are ready to eat it, then reheat.
Sue schurman
Can I make this ahead of time (the day before) and also in the crockpot?
Tara Moore
Hi Sue, you can definitely make this the day before (soup always tastes better the next day!). Crockpot - I haven't tried it this way yet but I don't see why not.
Michael
Our family loved this chowder!! Followed the recipe as written turned out so good, it tastes just like a baked potato with all the toppings. Can’t wait to make again!
Tara Moore
Thank you!!
Andrea
Am I missing something? I'm in the middle of making this and all the chicken broth is gone. I have doubled the broth at this point but it cooks off, especially during the 15 and 10 minute covered stages. Two cups is not enough to call this a soup, or even a chowder.
Tara Moore
Hi Andrea, sounds like you're having some trouble, I've made this chowder recipe tons of time and 2 cups is always enough (as you can see in the demo video). The recipe does instruct if the liquid runs low to add more. Perhaps your burner is too hot and boiling the liquid away, a hot burner will do that, it should be simmered on low.
Cindi
I took this soup to a party last night and everybody loved it! I could have doubled the recipe and still would not have had any leftovers! My husband was hoping to have some to eat today, it's definitely a keeper. I'm going to take this soup to the next party on New Years Eve!
Tara Moore
Thank you SO much Cindi!! I'm so glad everyone loved it. Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 -Tara