Funeral Potatoes Baked Soup (Printable view)

Creamy, cheesy soup with diced potatoes, sharp cheddar, and crunchy potato chip topping.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 stalks celery, diced

→ Dairy

05 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
09 - 1 cup sour cream
10 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

→ Pantry

11 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Toppings

15 - 1.5 cups kettle-cooked potato chips, crushed
16 - 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
17 - 0.25 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions
18 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
19 - Additional sour cream for garnish

# How To Make:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery; sauté until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 additional minute.
02 - Add diced potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
03 - Using a potato masher or immersion blender, mash some potatoes in the pot for a thicker texture, leaving some chunks for a hearty soup consistency.
04 - Stir in milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheddar. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring until cheeses are fully melted and soup is creamy, approximately 5-7 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with extra cheddar cheese, crushed potato chips, bacon if using, chives, and a dollop of sour cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a loaded baked potato had a love affair with cream soup and nobody's complaining about it.
  • You can make it in under an hour and actually have time to set the table instead of stress-cooking.
  • The toppings bar means everyone customizes their bowl, which somehow makes people feel special even though you did most of the work.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese isn't softened before you add it, you'll end up chasing little lumps around the pot with your spoon for an embarrassing amount of time.
  • Don't skip mashing the potatoes partially, because a completely smooth soup loses that comfort-food texture and a completely chunky one doesn't coat your mouth the same way.
  • The potato chips go on right before serving, not earlier, or they'll get sad and soggy and nobody wants sad chips.
03 -
  • Use an immersion blender instead of a masher if you want less arm work and more control over how creamy it gets.
  • Add the cheeses at the very end and stir constantly so they melt smoothly instead of clumping or separating.
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