Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder.

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 adobe, 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. 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 broth, then add a splash of cider. The cider adds a warm, sweet, fall flavor. I think it 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, 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

Creamy 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

Easy Spicy Baked Potato Soup

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!