Begin with chopping up your bacon and placing it into a large pot over medium heat. Cook until it turns golden and crisp. This part smells amazing already! Once done, scoop it out and set it aside. Be sure to keep around one tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot — that’s liquid gold for flavor.
Add butter into that same pot. Toss in your chopped onion and cook it for about 3–4 minutes, just until it softens and starts to brown slightly. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute. The mixture should be fragrant and rich.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir it into the buttery mixture. Let it cook for about 1–2 minutes. This helps cook off the raw flour taste and creates the perfect thickener for your soup. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking to keep everything smooth, then add the milk. Stir it all until it becomes creamy and starts to bubble slightly.
Now it’s time for the star! Scoop in your baked potato flesh — you can mash some and leave a few chunks for texture. Let everything simmer together for about 10–15 minutes. This is when the soup starts to thicken and get that dreamy, creamy consistency.
Stir in the sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and most of the crispy bacon. Save a bit of bacon for topping later! Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it heat through for another 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts completely and the soup is silky smooth.