Loaded Black Angus Beef & Potato Soup

As cooler days begin to settle over the farm, nothing hits the spot quite like a warm bowl of comfort food. This month’s Patch to Plate takes classic loaded potato soup and makes it Briarpatch-worthy with savory Briarpatch Farm Black Angus Ground Beef, tender potatoes, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and all the fixings.

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 1 lb. Briarpatch Farm Black Angus Ground Beef

• 4 large russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed

• 6 slices bacon

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter

• ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 cup half-and-half

• 2 cups beef broth

• 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

• ½ tsp. garlic powder

• ½ tsp. smoked paprika

• ½ tsp. black pepper

• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded

• ½ cup sour cream

For Loading It Up

• Additional shredded cheddar cheese

• Crumbled bacon

• Chopped fresh chives or green onions

• Sour cream

• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the potatoes.
Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork and microwave for about 12–15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Allow them to cool enough to handle, then roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. You can leave some of the skins on for a more rustic, farm-style texture.

2. Cook the bacon.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool, and crumble. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in the pot.

3. Brown the Black Angus beef.
Add the Briarpatch Farm Ground Beef to the bacon drippings. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking the beef into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.

4. Build the soup base.
Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same pot. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half until smooth, followed by the beef broth.

5. Make it rich and creamy.
Season with salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.

6. Bring everything together.
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the shredded cheddar and sour cream until melted and creamy. Add the potatoes, browned Black Angus Ground Beef, and about half of the crumbled bacon.

Gently stir everything together, breaking up a few of the potatoes as you go. This helps naturally thicken the soup while still leaving plenty of hearty potato pieces.

7. Load it up!
Spoon the soup into bowls and finish with shredded cheddar, crispy bacon, a dollop of sour cream, fresh chives or green onions, and cracked black pepper.

From the Patch 🥩

The Black Angus Ground Beef turns this loaded potato soup into a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs supper that's perfect for the beginning of fall. Serve it with warm crusty bread or cornbread, and you've got an easy family meal made even better with locally raised Briarpatch Farm beef.

Adapted and developed from the Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe by I Wash You Dry