Cut bacon into small pieces, and fry until crisp in a large pot over medium heat. Remove from pot and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
Melt butter in pot, and add the diced onion. Cook until tender. Add garlic, cook until fragrant.
Add flour to butter mixture in pot, whisk together well to remove clumps. Slowly add chicken broth while whisking. Add in the diced potatoes, chicken broth, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and Slap Ya Mama (if using). Stir all the ingredients together. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Reduce heat to simmer.
With a hand held potato masher, mash gently in the pot (careful not to splash) until the potatoes/ soup are the the consistency you want. We prefer larger pieces of potatoes in ours, so it doesn't require as much mashing.
Add sour cream and bacon pieces, stir well. Simmer for about 10 more minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Serve topped with cheese, if preferred.
