Rotisserie Chicken & Potato Soup with Bacon

When the weather turns cold and comfort is calling, this rotisserie chicken and potato soup with bacon always hits the spot. It’s rich, cozy, and packed with flavor – the kind of soup that warms you from the inside out. Grab a blanket, serve yourself a bowl, and settle in…this one’s meant to be enjoyed slowly.

Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8-10 bowls

What You’ll Need

Dutch Oven or large Soup Pot
Mixing bowls for food prep
Measuring cups and spoons
Cutting board & sharp knife
Rubber spatula
Potato peeler

Ingredients

16 oz bacon, reserve 2 tbsp. bacon drippings

1 Rotisserie Chicken (if they are small I use two)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

4-5 tsp. minced garlic * love garlic so I tend to be heavy handed here

1.5 cups diced carrots

4 ribs diced celery

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

10 cups chicken broth

2 cups half & half

3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks (roughly)

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use Cabot aged block cheddar) *see note

2 tbsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary, oregano

1 tsp. ground mustard

Prep Your Station

Chop your celery, onion and carrots and add them to a bowl then set aside.
Get your Dutch oven out, if you don’t have one an extra large pot will do.
Add your spices to a small bowl
Measure out your flour
Measure out your broth and half & half
Cut your bacon
Put a paper towel on a plate for your bacon once it is cooked

💡Pro Tip: place your package of bacon in the freezer while you’re setting things up. This gives it just enough time to firm up a little, making it a lot easier to cut. I use kitchen scissors to cut my bacon right over the pot.

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces, add it to your pot, and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and put it on the plate with the paper towel.

2. Carefully drain all but 2 Tbsp of bacon grease from the pot.

3. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the pot, let that cook on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. When you’re stirring gently scrape the bacon drippings from the bottom of your pot with a rubber spatula.

4. Add spices, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Stir occasionally until the garlic is fragrant.

5. Stir in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the flour has entirely incorporated.

6. Add broth and half & half slowly, while constantly stirring to avoid clumping. Increase your temp to medium-high.

6. Add chicken, potatoes, and cheese. Stir well and let simmer on low-medium for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

7. Crumble your crispy bacon and add about 1/2 to the soup.

Recipe Notes

I use rotisserie chicken to save time. If you want to make this recipe more budget-friendly you can cook 1 lb. of chicken breast and skip the bacon.

For the cheese, I use the aged 14 months Cabot cheddar 1.5 lb. block, and I shred it myself. Pre shredded cheese is coated so it doesn’t melt as well.

You could adjust this recipe and use the crockpot. Just complete steps 1-5 on the stove top, then transfer to your crockpot before completing the remaining steps.

Serve With

Serve with cornbread
In a bread bowl
With a nice artisan bread
A nice side salad for a soup & salad combo
Top each serving with crumbled bacon and a little extra cheese

Storage

This soup stores well for 3-4 days in an airtight container. It thickens as it sits so you will likely have to add a splash of chicken broth or water to bring it back to desired consistency.

📌Save this recipe for the next cold and snowy day

Final Thoughts

I hope this soup brings as much comfort to your home as it does to mine. On cold evenings, busy nights, or those “I just want something cozy” moments, this recipe never fails and depending on how many you’re feeding it will provide you with a lot of leftovers. If you try it, let me know how it turned out – and don’t forget to follow along on Hey Ivy for easier, budget-friendly, feel-good meals.

Stay warm, stay cozy, and happy cooking!

Hey Ivy🌿