Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup

This is exactly the kind of dinner I want on the table once sports season hits and everyone’s coming home cold and starving. There’s no peeling or chopping potatoes involved; you dump in a bag of frozen hash browns and let the crockpot do the work. The biggest “effort” in this soup recipe is stirring in the cream cheese and cheddar near the end.

I get it going before we head out for the day so it’s ready whenever practice wraps up, right alongside my slow cooker Mongolian meatballs (coming soon!) for the nights we need dinner to just happen. If you’re looking for more of these,  my dinners on the go roundup is full of the same kind of hands-off meals.

What Makes The Recipe Different?💭

No peeling or chopping: Frozen diced hash browns go straight into the crockpot. Prep is about 10 minutes, and a potato peeler never comes out.

Loaded flavor is cooked in, not just piled on: Bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar go into the soup itself, not just on top like my crockpot cowboy casserole with ground beef. You still get extra cheese and bacon for serving, but the flavor’s already built in.

Hands-off for busy nights: Everything goes in together and cooks while you’re at work, running errands, or sitting through practice. No babysitting the stove.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Frozen Hash Browns: This loaded soup recipe uses hashbrowns right from the freezer, no thawing needed. Stick with diced instead of shredded, as the shredded ones cook down softer and closer to a mashed texture instead of the chunkier bites of potato you get here.
• Cream Cheese: It gets cubed into small pieces before going in during the last hour. Smaller cubes melt into the soup instead of sitting there as one unmelted block. Use leftovers to make keto crab Rangoon with cream cheese.
• Condensed Soups: Use the soup straight from the can, no milk or water mixed in. This recipe uses both cream of chicken and cream of mushroom, for both a savory flavor and a thick texture.
• Bacon: Bacon goes into the soup itself, plus more for topping bowls at the table. Pre-cooked bacon pieces keep this quick, but crumbled cooked bacon works too.
• Cheddar: Shred it yourself if you want it to melt more smoothly than the bagged pre-shredded kind.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Flavors To Try

Want to switch things up? Here are a few ways to change this one.

Ranch Loaded Potato Soup: Stir in a packet of ranch seasoning mix along with the broth for a tangier, ranch-loaded version.

Pepper Jack Kick: Swap half the cheddar for pepper jack if you want a little heat.

Ham Swap: Use diced leftover ham instead of bacon, good for using up holiday ham.

How To Make Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup

Add the frozen hash browns, chicken broth, both cans of condensed soup, bacon, and seasonings to a greased crockpot. Stir it together and cook for 6 hours.

Step 2: About an hour before it’s done, cut the cream cheese into small cubes and add it along with the cheddar. Stir to combine and let it finish cooking.

Helpful Hints

• Add the cheese at the end, not the start: cream cheese and cheddar only need the final hour, or you end up with a “burnt” kind of taste and not a creamy texture.
• Watch the salt: between the broth, both condensed soups, bacon, and cheddar, this soup already has a lot going on. Taste before adding more at the end, especially if you’re using regular broth instead of low-sodium.
• Stick with diced hash browns: shredded works in a pinch, but you’ll lose the chunkier potato bites that make this feel like loaded potato soup instead of a smooth, blended one.
• It’s okay if you’re not home to stir the soup.

How To Store It

Fridge: Let the hashbrown potato soup cool fully before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheating: Warm leftovers on the stove or in the microwave. Like most potato soups, this one will likely thicken up as it sits, so add a splash of broth or milk while reheating to loosen it back up and make sure to reheat it on low so the cheese doesn’t burn.

Freezer: While you can freeze the potato soup in an airtight container for up to 2 months, I personally don’t love how it reheats. It’s okay but it’s not as creamy as the original.

How To Serve It

This crockpot potato soup is basically a meal on its own, but it’s easy to dress up depending on who you’re feeding. Below are a few toppings we use as well as add-ons to complete or stretch the meal.

• Toppings: Add some extra bacon, green onions, chives, or cracked black pepper to your bowls individually.
• Pairing: I personally serve the soup alongside air fryer steak tips or marinated chicken breasts in the air fryer the most.

Know that this soup also travels well for a potluck or team night; just make sure it’s got a safe way to stay warm once you get there.

Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup FAQs

Pin

How do I thicken crockpot potato soup?

The cream cheese and cheddar do most of the thickening here. If it’s still thinner than you’d like once everything’s melted in, let it cook uncovered for a few extra minutes, or stir in a little extra shredded cheese.

Why isn’t my cream cheese melting?

It’s probably still too cold or in pieces that are too big. Cube it small before adding it, give it the full final hour to melt in, and stir it a couple times along the way

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can add the hash browns, broth, soups, bacon, and seasonings to the crockpot the night before and store it in the fridge, then start cooking in the morning. Add the cream cheese and cheddar fresh in that final hour like usual.

More Easy Crockpot Recipes

PinPin

Crockpot Cowboy Casserole With Ground Beef

PinPin

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup With Ground Beef

PinPin

Keto Pizza Soup

If you tried this Easy Loaded Potato Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!