Recipe: 5-Ingredient Family-Friendly Baked Potato Soup
Serves6 to 8
Here’s how most weeknight dinners go at my house: I’ve planned recipes a week in advance, grocery shopped, and meal prepped. Then a long afternoon meeting has me rushing between school pickup and bath time to get dinner on the table.
I have a few miracle meals that fit the bill, and I just added this five-ingredient baked potato soup to the roster. Spoiler: No baked potatoes are required for this soup. Nope, just one freezer shortcut will get you from done to devoured in less than 30 minutes.
Skip the Baked Potatoes for Frozen Hashbrowns
Yes, this soup is called baked potato soup because it tastes just like a baked potato with all the fixings. But instead of asking you to miraculously have leftover baked potatoes in the fridge (or, gasp, bake them from start to finish on a Wednesday after soccer), this soup is made from frozen hash browns. Cubes or shreds will do the trick and, hey, look — they are already peeled and chopped for you!
Bacon and green onions both do double duty here, saving you precious prep time. The bacon’s fat is used for sautéing and flavoring the soup, and the crisp rashers are crumbled for topping the soup. Similarly, you’ll cook the white part of the green onions for the soup and save the green parts for topping the soup.
5-Ingredient Baked Potato Soup
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4 slices
bacon, halved
- 6
medium scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 pounds
frozen hash browns or peeled and cubed Russet potatoes
- 3 cups
half-and-half or whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup
shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Place the bacon in a large soup pot and cook on medium heat until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
Add the white parts of the scallions to the pot. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the half-and-half or milk and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop or crumble the bacon.
At this point, mash with a potato masher or purée with an immersion blender into your desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve sprinkled with cheese, scallion greens, and bacon.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.