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This one pot Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder is the coziest bowl to warm up to on cold fall and winter nights. Made with crispy bacon, sweet potatoes, canned chipotle in adobo, and sharp cheddar cheese. This chowder is mildly spicy, creamy, full of wonderful color, and so delicious. Top each bowl of creamy soup with plenty of cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, lots of green onions, and crispy homemade bacon bits! Great on its own, but even better with a side of homemade beer bread. Yum!
I recently took a look back through some of my oldest recipes. The recipes I first shared in 2012 and 2013. It feels crazy to say this, but as of today, we’ve been creating new recipes and writing this website for 11 years. I feel so old, but also, wow, how cool!
I love to look back at the crazy ideas I shared back then. Some of them are so fun. I love that the first recipe I ever shared was the cutest bowl of ghostly butternut squash soup. And I’m thankful that I’m still that same girl who loves October and gets excited about the spooky season.
I also noticed that one of the flavors I often used was chipotle mixed with sweet potatoes. I still LOVE this spicy, sweet combination, especially during the fall and winter months. These flavors are so cozy.
I haven’t made a sweet potato soup in a while so I was really excited about this idea! A creamy sweet potato soup with chipotle and sharp cheddar cheese, kind of similar to a more classic baked potato soup, but different with the use of sweet potatoes. They add such a uniqueness and I love the twist.
Details
step 1: crisp the bacon
Cook the bacon up first in a soup pot. You’ll want to get it really crispy and crunchy before pulling it out of the pot. Then basically everything else goes in.
If you don’t eat pork, feel free to omit the bacon entirely. I do kind of love the salty, smoky flavor it adds, but the smoked paprika will help to make up for the loss.
Step 2: cook the potatoes
Next mix in an onion, some garlic, butter, and flour. The flour is used to thicken and create a thick, creamy chowder. This is a REAL dinner-style soup, thick, creamy, and so delish.
Add the chicken broth, then add a splash of cider. The cider adds a warm, sweet, fall flavor. I think the taste pairs so wonderfully with the spicy chipotle, the sweet potatoes, and the cheddar cheese. A great mix of flavors!
Step 3: mash, mash, mash
When the potatoes are soft, you can use a potato masher to mash them up. I love to leave the soup chunky, but you could also puree the soup if you prefer.
At this point, you can add all the remaining ingredients: milk, chipotle, chili powder, paprika, yogurt, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.
The chipotle adds a wonderful chili flavor with just the right amount of smokiness and spice. It’s subtle yet such a delicious addition!
Step 4: serve
For serving, I add a dollop of yogurt, extra cheddar cheese, then lots of fresh cilantro and green onions. I always finish with the crispy bacon.
I love serving this along with beer bread, crusty bread, or salty homemade soft pretzels are great too. This chowder is so yummy for dipping some kind of bread, it’s kind of a must if you ask me.
Looking for other dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Lastly, if you make this Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 492 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose or gluten free flour
- 4 cups bone broth or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (3-4 cups, chopped)
- 2 cups milk
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotle in adobo (1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- chopped green onion for serving
Instructions
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot and reserve the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the same pot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the butter and flour, cook for 1 minute. Pour the broth and cider over and stir in the sweet potatoes. Partially cover and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are very soft. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the potatoes. I like to leave my soup chunky and do 1/3 of the potatoes.3. Stir in the milk, chipotle, chili powder, paprika, yogurt/sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. If needed, thin with additional broth.4. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt/sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and green onions. Adds lots of bacon. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on October 12, 2023
This is good – really good! Very silky and loved the topping suggestions. Served with homemade bread but might really indulge next time and make a cheese toastie side 🙂
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it turned out well for you:)
This one is a winner! We added black beans for protein. So very good!
Hey Nicole,
Love to hear that this recipe was delish! Thanks for making it and your feedback! Have a great weekend!🍁🍃
This was seriously the best soup I have ever made. I will make this again and again. I did use a cup of heavy cream instead of the 2 cups of milk. I can not say enough about this soup.
Thank you for all your amazing recipes,
Vickie
Hey Vickie,
That’s fantastic to hear! Thanks for trying this dish and your comment, love that it was enjoyed! xT
This was such a great weeknight meal— and absolutely delicious! The smoky flavor of the bacon and chipotle made this a perfectly balanced soup packed full of flavor. Love all of your recipes, Tieghan!
Hi Shelby,
I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xT
Such a great effort:taste ratio. This soup is delicious AND low maintenence while cooking after the potatoes are in.
The chipotle peppers definitely pack a punch but if you like spicy adding 2 is perfect. Sour cream topper was perfect for balance.
Great flavors and filling fall soup!
Hey Danielle,
Happy Weekend! Thanks so much for making this soup and your notes, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This soup/stew was absolutely phenomenal- perfect blend of smoky, sweet, with a slightly spicy bite. I couldn’t find apple cider at the store so I used apple juice and about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I added a bit more chipotle because I like spicy! I will be adding this to our rotation. The only bad thing is- it’s so delicious it’s addictive. I can’t stop eating it!
Hey Becca,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! xx
Hi from Denver Tieghan! Do you think I could do this in a slow cooker? About how long/how high? Thanks!
Hi Christine! I haven’t ever tried this in a slow cooker so can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
Hi Tieghan!
I tried this recipe for dinner tonight, and the whole fam loved it! We all agreed it’s going into the rotation. I just want to say, there hasn’t been a recipe of yours that we’ve had that hasn’t been a win. Thank you so much for all your hard work. You’re a treasure. If you ever have a meet & greet in Cali, I’d love to meet you. Take care! 😊
Thanks so much for your kind message Laurie!! I love to hear to that it was a hit with your family! Thanks for making it! xT
So good! Can’t wait to take leftovers to work tomorrow. Made the beer bread with it… excellent but I do think next time I’ll try the pretzel idea.
SO flavorful and hearty – will have this one on repeat this fall/winter! I subbed full fat coconut milk for regular milk (1:1) and I wouldn’t know the difference. I also used an immersion blender to mash some of the sweet potatoes, but did leave some whole for texture. Homemade soft pretzels to dip was icing on the cake!
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! 🙂 xT
Apologies if this has been asked already, can coconut milk be used in place of cows milk for a non dairy option?
Hi Shannon! Yes, you absolutely can use coconut milk! xT
So good that I’ve made it twice this week!
Thank you Sam! xT
Great creation Tieghan! Probably my favourite soup so far. I’ve been making your recipes weekly for a couple years and just want to say thank you for all you do!
Hi there! Thank you so much! So glad you loved this recipe 🙂 xT
Does this soup freeze well? And if so, would I need to add water or broth when I defrost it?
Thanks!
Hi Leigh! Yes, you can freeze it! I would defrost it with some broth 🙂 xT
Absolutely delicious! Really great flavor/texture—so filling. Thank you for another awesome recipe that the whole fam loves! Will definitely make this again.
Thanks so so much for trying out the recipe, I really hope you loved it! xT
This was amazing! I omitted the bacon but added 2 cans of black beans. It was so tasty, this will be on repeat all winter!!!
Thanks so so much for trying out the recipe, I really hope you loved it! xT