Wash & prep your potatoes, then chop into bite-sized pieces (about 1/4 inch chunks to speed up cooking process)

Chop chives and onions

Render down bacon until crisp, removing a little extra fat if too much - only need about a 1 tbsp of bacon grease

Sear your onions until soft and translucent

Season and cook down a bit (be sure to have not have heat too high to avoid burning onions or potatoes. Medium heat should be good, depending on your stove

Add a chopped garlic clove and fresh thyme leaves

Add 32oz (1 full carton) of low-sodium chicken broth

Let it get to a boil and cook down until potatoes are fork-tender

Take off heat and let soup cool a bit before blending - you can use an immersion blender like this awesome one I bought a few years ago from Amazon for $20 - https://amzn.to/4eDPRmq

Blend until smooth and add a few cubes of cold butter

Add shredded cheddar and chopped chives

Protein addition ideas (for a lil extra razzle dazzle) - shrimp (as I added in the video), chicken, mushrooms, steak