This slow cooker loaded baked potato soup is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it comfort food. Made with frozen hash browns, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and crispy bacon, it comes together in just 10 minutes of prep with zero peeling or chopping required. Just dump everything into your crockpot and come back to a thick, creamy, restaurant-worthy bowl of soup.
Save this recipe to Pinterest and come back to it every chilly season!
If you love a thick and creamy potato soup, you might also want to check out my Creamy Loaded Potato Soup for a stovetop version that is just as rich and satisfying!
Why You Will Love This
- Absolutely no peeling or chopping: You would expect that making potato soup means washing, peeling, and chopping raw potatoes. Not here! We are using frozen cubed hash browns to save all that time and effort.
- It cooks itself: You just dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do the work while you go about your day.
- Completely versatile: You do not even have to add the ingredients in a specific order, and you can easily make substitutions if you like. It is incredibly forgiving.
- Peak comfort food: With cream cheese, cheddar, bacon, and a thick, rich broth, it is like a hug in a bowl!
What You Will Need
Special Equipment
- 6 Quart (or larger) Slow Cooker or Crockpot
- Large serving ladle
Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen Southern style hash browns (cubed potatoes), thawed
- 4 cups (32 oz) low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (plus ½ cup reserved for topping)
- ¾ cup cooked and crumbled bacon (plus ¼ cup reserved for topping)
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp coarse salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
Optional toppings: sliced green onions, a dollop of sour cream
Allergen note: This recipe contains dairy (cream cheese, cheddar), gluten (cream of chicken soup), and pork (bacon). Check your labels if you are cooking for guests with dietary restrictions.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Step 1: Prep the Slow Cooker and Potatoes
You are going to start with your crockpot and turn it on to HIGH. Instead of dealing with fresh potatoes, we are using 32 ounces of frozen Southern style hash browns (the cubed kind). I let mine thaw out from frozen just so I could stir them around a bit easier. Just pour them right into the slow cooker insert. If you prefer the shredded hash browns, that works perfectly fine, too!
Step 2: Add the Good Stuff
Next, just start adding your other ingredients. It is so easy to just toss these things in! Pour in the four cups of low sodium chicken broth. You can use canned broth, a 32 ounce box (which is exactly four cups), or homemade if you have it. Add in the can of cream of chicken soup. Drop in your 8 ounce block of cream cheese. I highly recommend softening it and cutting it into chunks so that it blends into the warm soup easily.
Step 3: Mix in the Flavor and Dairy
We need 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese total, but we are putting 1 ½ cups directly into the soup mix and saving the last ½ cup for our garnish. You will also need about a cup of cooked, crumbled bacon. I bake about eight slices in the oven, freeze them, and then just microwave them so they are nice and crisp before breaking them apart with my fingers.
Toss ¾ cup into the pot, and save ¼ cup for the top! Finally, we are keeping it simple with ¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon of coarse salt, and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black peppercorns. You can always adjust everything to your taste.
Step 4: Give It a Stir and Let It Cook
Now, give it all a gentle stir to combine. You do not have to mix this perfectly because you are going to come by occasionally and stir it if you are home. Be sure to scrape the edges when you stir so the cheese does not stick and burn. If you have to leave and go to work, do not worry! It is going to blend into itself beautifully. Put the lid on and let it cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender.
Speaking of the slow cooker doing all the work, if you love how easy this is, my Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice is another dump-and-go meal that is absolutely perfect for busy weeknights!
Step 5: Time to Serve!
After three hours on high, go in and give it one last stir, making sure to scrape the edges so they do not brown up and get hard. It will look absolutely delicious! Once the potatoes are perfectly tender and the soup is hot and creamy, use a big ladle to get plenty of the rich liquid and all those nice potato chunks into your serving bowl. Leave a little room at the top, because we are going to garnish this with our reserved shredded cheddar cheese and crisp bacon pieces!
I served mine up with a slice of my homemade sour cream cornbread. It is just the perfect pairing. The soup is incredibly hot right out of the pot, but all of those ingredients mix together just perfectly down in that bowl. I think you will love this recipe, and I hope you try it!
And if you are on a soup kick this season, my Unstuffed Cabbage Soup with Meatballs is another deeply comforting bowl that the whole family goes crazy for. So hearty and easy!
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm it gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring frequently. Because this soup is dairy-heavy, high heat can cause the cheese and cream cheese to separate. A slow, gentle reheat keeps it creamy and smooth.
Freezer: It is generally not recommended to freeze this soup. Potatoes hold a lot of water and tend to become grainy or mushy when frozen and thawed. Plus, because this recipe is rich in dairy (cream cheese and cheddar), the fats easily separate and curdle during the reheating process. This soup is definitely best enjoyed fresh!
Looking for a slow cooker recipe that is great for entertaining? My Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs are a total crowd-pleaser and practically make themselves!
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FAQs
Can you put raw potatoes in a slow cooker?
Yes, absolutely! If you prefer to use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns, you can peel and dice Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes and put them straight into the slow cooker. They will cook gently over several hours, soaking up the savory flavors of the broth and seasonings until perfectly tender.
How do you thicken slow cooker potato soup?
Because this recipe uses cream cheese and a can of cream of chicken soup, it usually thickens up beautifully on its own! However, if your soup is thinner than you would like, you can easily thicken it using the Mash Method. Just grab a potato masher and carefully mash some of the cooked potatoes right against the side of the slow cooker. This releases their natural starches and naturally thickens the broth.
Why did my potato soup turn out gummy or slimy?
Potato soup turns gummy when the starches in the potatoes are overworked. The most common culprit is using a high speed countertop blender or food processor to puree the soup. If you want a smoother soup, always use a manual potato masher to break down the potatoes gently!
Can you freeze loaded potato soup?
It is generally not recommended to freeze this soup. Potatoes can become grainy and mushy when thawed, and the heavy dairy content (cream cheese and cheddar) tends to separate and curdle when reheated. This soup is definitely best enjoyed fresh, and it keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Can you make this slow cooker potato soup lower in sodium?
Yes! Use low sodium chicken broth and a low sodium or reduced sodium cream of chicken soup. You can also reduce or skip the added salt and season to taste at the end once everything has cooked together.
Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Course: Soups, MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes3
hours450
kcal3
hours10
minutesA warm, comforting, and incredibly easy slow cooker loaded baked potato soup made with frozen hash browns. No peeling or chopping required. Loaded with cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and crispy bacon, this crockpot soup is the perfect fall and winter comfort food recipe.
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
6-Quart Slow Cooker
Ladle
- Ingredients:
32 oz (907g) frozen Southern-style hash browns (cubed), thawed
4 cups (946ml) low sodium chicken broth
1 can (10.5 oz / 298g) cream of chicken soup
8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened and cubed
2 cups (225g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided (1 ½ cups for soup, ½ cup for topping)
1 cup (120g) cooked bacon, crumbled and divided (¾ cup for soup, ¼ cup for topping)
¼ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Optional toppings
sliced green onions
sour cream
Directions
- Turn your slow cooker on to the HIGH setting.
- Pour the thawed hash browns into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream cheese chunks, 1 ½ cups of the cheddar cheese, ¾ cup of the crumbled bacon, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Stir gently to combine. It does not need to be perfectly mixed; it will melt together as it cooks.
- Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the edges from burning.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles.
Notes
- Make it your own: This recipe is incredibly versatile. You can add extra bacon, swap the cheddar for pepper jack, or toss in some sliced green onions or a dollop of sour cream on top!
- Lower sodium tip: Use low sodium chicken broth and reduced sodium cream of chicken soup, and hold off on added salt until you taste it at the end.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Freezing Warning: Not recommended. Potatoes become grainy when thawed and the dairy content tends to separate and curdle on reheating.
- Allergens: Contains dairy, gluten, and pork.
- Serving Suggestion: This pairs perfectly with a slice of warm sour cream cornbread!
