Traditional Irish potato soup—a simple formula made with potatoes, onions, stock, and cream—gets an upgrade with the addition of cheddar cheese, carrots, green onions, and sour cream in Jason’s Deli's delicious take on the classic recipe. These improvements result in a soup that’s not only easy to build but may also be the best-tasting potato soup I’ve hacked so far.

The secret to this soup hack is that it starts as a cheddar cheese sauce, which may raise concerns if you’ve ever made cheese sauce that melted poorly and became grainy. That won’t happen here if you use mild or medium cheddar cheese, as they melt better than sharp varieties. So, choose your cheddar wisely.

Also, shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese won’t melt as smoothly because it’s drier and often dusted with cellulose or starch, and possibly other additives keep the shreds from clumping in the bag. For my Jason's Deli Irish Potato Soup recipe below, I highly recommend that you roll up your sleeves and hunt down the cheese shredder. 

Once everything is in the pot, simmer the soup for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. You’ll have enough for eight bowls of soup, each topped with cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon, just like the real thing. 

Find more amazing copycat soup recipes here.

When Joe Tortorice and Rusty Coco opened the first Jason's Deli in Beaumont, Texas, in 1976, they could only dream of one day having more than 177 stores in 27 states. The original Jason's Deli menu of 12 items has exploded to more than seventy-five, with many of the awesome sandwich selections paired up with a side order of assorted fruit and creamy liqueur fruit dipping sauce. 

The super-tasty fruit-dipping-sauce is easily cloned here in my Jason's Deli Creamy Liqueur Fruit Dipping Sauce recipe below. With only three ingredients, my recipe can be customized for those of you watching the fat grams by substituting low-fat or fat-free sour cream. Serve this sauce along with a bowl of your favorite fresh fruit, such as pineapple, strawberries, grapes or whatever happens to be in season.

Check here for more famous dip recipes. 

Source: Top Secret Recipes Unlocked by Todd Wilbur.