Cut up the bacon and add it to a soup pot. Fry the bacon over medium-high heat until it's nice and crispy (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, prep your onion and potatoes. Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1/2-inch cubes.

Once the bacon is done, take it out of the pot and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about two tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.

Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté it for 5 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook it for about a minute.

Whisk the milk in slowly until the flour has dissolved.

Add the chicken broth, minced garlic, and diced potatoes. Increase the heat to high. When the soup is almost boiling, reduce the heat and cover the pot with the lid slightly open. Let the soup simmer gently for 20 minutes.

While the soup's cooking, get the cheddar cheese, scallions, and sour cream ready.

The potatoes should be quite fall-apart tender by now. Mash the potatoes a little bit right in the pot using a potato masher.

Stir in the sour cream and most of the cheddar cheese and bacon. Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Top each bowl with the remaining cheddar cheese, bacon, and chopped scallions.