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Copycat Outback Baked Potato Soup

Copycat Outback baked potato soup with ultra-creamy thickness made from a butter-and-flour roux and whole milk, plus tender baked potato chunks. Finish with cheddar, sour cream, bacon, and chives for a restaurant-style loaded topping swirl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

russet potatoes
  • 4 russet potatoes baked, cooled, and peeled
bacon
  • 6 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
unsalted butter
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
all-purpose flour
  • 1.3333333333 tbsp all-purpose flour
whole milk
  • 4 cup whole milk
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
shredded cheddar
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar
sour cream
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder
sour cream (for serving)
  • 0.25 cup sour cream extra for serving
cheddar (for serving)
  • 0.25 cup shredded cheddar extra for serving
bacon (for serving)
  • 2 strips bacon extra for serving
chives (for serving)
  • 2 tbsp chives extra for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the potatoes
  1. Chop the baked potato flesh into small pieces and set aside.
Make the roux and thicken the base
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes while the mixture looks smooth and lightly bubbly.
  2. Gradually whisk in the whole milk, heavy cream, and chicken broth until smooth, then continue stirring over medium heat until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
Build the soup
  1. Fold in the chopped baked potato and mash some into the soup for extra thickness.
  2. Stir in the cheddar and sour cream until smooth, then season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Serve
  1. Ladle into bowls and top generously with extra sour cream, cheddar, bacon, and chives.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium and whisk constantly when adding dairy so the soup thickens smoothly without scorching. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently, adding a splash of milk or broth if it thickens too much. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in dairy-based soups. For a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat milk and a light sour cream substitute, keeping the cheese and bacon amounts the same for flavor.