Mashed Potato Soup is a favorite at our house during the fall season.
With Halloween behind us, November brings a nonstop parade of holidays and gatherings. From home to the office, school to church, it seems like there’s always something to taste or another stop where food awaits.
By November we’re all planning the Thanksgiving menu: turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing (or dressing), gravy, rolls, and cranberry sauce. And desserts—let’s save those for another time.
I was excited to join Mom’s Crazy Cooking Challenge this year. The November theme was mashed potatoes, which fit perfectly with the season of leftovers. While I enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas leftovers, I like to transform them into something new after one extra meal.
Searching for ideas, I found Angel Cole’s Loaded Potato Soup. The recipe essentially turns potatoes into a rich, loaded potato experience—and I realized the method could work with leftover mashed potatoes. Using her recipe as a guide, I adapted it to our tastes (omitting some herbs because my kids don’t like green flecks in their soup) and ended up with a delicious, comforting soup.
Mashed Potato Soup (adapted from Angel Cole)
Ingredients:
5–6 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pound bacon plus drippings
1 cup heavy cream
3–4 cups milk (adjust for desired consistency)
1 teaspoon thyme (optional)
1 teaspoon rosemary (optional)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 large slice Velveeta or similar processed cheese (about 2 inches wide)
Sour cream and shredded cheese for garnish
Instructions:
1. Cook the bacon until crisp. I like to bake bacon in the oven for even cooking. Reserve the bacon drippings for sautéing the onion. Chop the cooked bacon and set most of it aside, keeping a little for garnish.
2. In the reserved bacon grease, sauté the chopped onion until it turns a deep caramel color. This adds a sweet, rich base to the soup.
3. If you don’t already have leftover mashed potatoes, prepare a batch and place them in a large pot. Stir in the heavy cream and begin mashing or whisking to loosen the potatoes. If your mashed potatoes are very cold, they’ll take a little longer to come together.
4. Add milk a cup at a time until you reach the soup consistency you prefer—somewhere between 3 and 4 cups usually works well.
5. Stir in the spices: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add thyme and rosemary if you like those flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Add the sautéed onions and the chopped bacon into the pot, reserving some bacon for topping. Stir to combine.
7. Add the slice of Velveeta and stir until melted and fully incorporated. Let the soup simmer gently for 30–40 minutes so the flavors meld and the soup thickens slightly.
8. Serve hot, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, extra shredded cheese, and the reserved bacon pieces. A sprinkle of chopped chives or green onion is nice if your family enjoys them.
This soup captures the essence of a loaded baked potato in spoonable form. The red pepper flakes gave it a pleasant, subtle bite, and stirring in sour cream just before serving made it taste irresistibly like a true loaded potato.
Thanks to Mom’s Crazy Cooking for hosting the challenge—next month’s theme is fudge, and I’m looking forward to it. If you try this recipe, enjoy the comfort of mashed potatoes transformed into a hearty, warming soup.