This cheesy crockpot potato soup recipe is delicious! Packed full of tender potatoes, ham and vegetables all mixed into a creamy base, the whole family loves this recipe. Make this cozy soup to warm you up on a cold night or rainy day.
Why We Love Cheesy Crockpot Potato Soup
- Cozy Soup– This delicious soup is so cozy to come home to on a cold or rainy day.
- Creamy And Hearty For Dinner – Honestly I can’t get enough of the creamy, cheesy deliciousness. This slow cooker soup is a thicker soup that is hearty enough that it can be dinner. It’s the ultimate comfort food for lunch for the whole family too.
- Great For You Budget– Soup is always a great meal to throw together when you are counting your pennies, and the slowcooker makes it even easier doing all the work!
I often in the winter make my favorite soup, this potato and ham soup on the stove top. This soup is a creamy potato soup but it isn’t cheesy. This cheesy version was a big hit with the entire family.
One of my crockpots has a keep warm setting, so if I’m out longer I can totally just finish up the soup with the milk and cheese when I get home. Perfect, and no cream of chicken soup in the can needed for this great recipe!
Ingredients For Crockpot Potato Soup
- 2 cups potatoes diced, I prefer yukon gold potatoes so they become creamy but still maintain their texture. Russet potatoes make a nice creamy soup that tends to be extra thick. Red potatoes are delicious too and hold their shape a little more in the soup.
- 1 1/2 cups ham diced
- 1 cup carrots diced, can use full carrots or baby carrots
- 2 cups corn I’ve used frozen corn, but canned corn that is drained and rinsed can also be used.
- ½ medium onion – diced
- 6 strips bacon diced, turkey bacon can also be used. The bacon gives a lot of extra flavor but it can be left out if you prefer.
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, I prefer a sharp cheddar cheese for a good flavor, but mild cheddar can also be used.
- 1 1/2 cups milk – divided. Whole milk will give a creamier soup, or you can also substitute in 1/2 cup of heavy cream for 1/2 cup of milk for a creamier soup.
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Optional Garnish Ideas
OPTIONAL GARNISH
These are some of my favorite toppings!
- Extra Bacon- Diced and crisped up in a pan first is best
- Parsley
- Green onions
- Extra shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Crackers
How To Make Crockpot Potato Soup
- Dice the potatoes, ham and carrots into half inch, bite-sized pieces. Dice the raw bacon and set it to the side.
- To the crockpot add the ham, carrots, corn, potatoes, bacon, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
- Cover the crock pot. Cook everything on low 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Check if it is ready by piercing a potato with a fork to see if they are tender.
- If you prefer a smoother soup, you can also use a potato masher or an immersion blender to quickly mash or blend the potatoes before moving to the next step.
- In a small bowl combine cornstarch with ¼ cup of milk. Mix well until the cornstarch is dissolved into a slurry mixture. Add the cornstarch slurry mixture to the Crockpot and mix well.
- Add 1 1/4 cup of milk to the Crockpot and stir.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese a little at a time. Mixing well each time you add the cheese.
- Cover the crockpot again. Cook the soup on high for an additional 30 minutes to allow the soup to thicken.
- Add parsley and extra bacon for garnish if desired. Enjoy!
Variations And FAQ
- Swap The Corn– Our family really loves corn in potato soup, but if you prefer you can swap the corn out. You can actually add up to two cups more potatoes in the beginning of the recipe if you leave the corn out, or add in other vegetables such as celery or carrots.
- Add Green Peas– Adding peas gives a pop of color and flavor to this soup. When adding peas, I usually add about a cup of frozen peas right before serving. Sometimes I also add them to each person’s bowl, and it can help to cool off the soup a little bit right before we eat.
- Swap Shredded Hash Browns– Sometimes when I am short on time I’ll swap shredded hashbrowns, cup for cup from frozen in this recipe. While the soup doesn’t feel as rustic with chunks of potatoes instead of shredded, it does taste delicious! When I’m short on time before running out the door it can save me time slicing potatoes!
NOTE: Shredded potatoes do tend to cook a little faster than chunks of potatoes. I’ve usually run this swap on low in my slow cooker.
What To Serve With Potato Soup
This potato soup can be a meal all on it’s own! If you are looking for a good option to serve together, try some of these ideas.
- Sandwich – Turkey, ham, chicken and roast beef all are delicious with this soup. Use what you have and keep it simple!
- Green Salad– This soup is on the heavier side, so a simple green salad can help to balance your meal.
- Rolls – Rolls or some kind of chewy bread is perfect for dippiing in this creamy soup.
What Size Slowcooker Should I use?
This slow cooker potato soup recipe works best in a five or six quart crockpot.
How To Store Potato Soup
Store this hearty soup in an airtight container for three to four days. This soup does thicken with time. If the soup is too thick the next day, add a little water when reheating to thin it out.
Can I Freeze This Cheesy Potato Soup?
Sadly this cheesy soup does not freeze well, I really don’t recommend freezing it. The dairy in this soup will separate or become grainy when you reheat the soup after freezing.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Crockpot Chicken Tortellini Soup– Plump tender tortellini with tender in chicken in a savory tomato broth, this crockpot soup is amazing too!
Black Bean Salsa Soup– Quick and easy, this stovetop soup is so fast. Perfect for lunch!
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup– This fast soup uses pre-cooked chicken and is super tasty. This soup is perfect for cold days or for you’re under the weather.
Crockpot Potato Soup (Cheesy!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups potatoes diced
- 1 1/2 cups ham diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 2 cups corn frozen
- ½ medium onion diced
- 6 strips bacon diced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups milk divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Optional Garnish
- extra crispy bacon
- cheese
- parsley
Love Family Recipes?Follow @OnMyKidsPlate On Pinterest For MoreInstructions
- Dice the potatoes, ham and carrots into half inch, bite-sized pieces. Dice the raw bacon and set it to the side.
- To the crockpot add the ham, carrots, corn, potatoes, bacon, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
- Cover the Crockpot. Cook everything on low 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Check if it is ready by piercing a potato with a fork to see if they are tender.
- In a small bowl combine cornstarch with ¼ cup of milk. Mix well until the cornstarch is dissolved into a slurry mixture.
- Add the cornstarch slurry mixture to the Crockpot and mix well. Add 1 1/4 cup of milk to the Crockpot and stir. Add the shredded cheddar cheese a little at a time, mixing well in between.
- Cover Crockpot again. Cook the soup on high for an additional 30 minutes.
- Add parsley and extra bacon for garnish if desired. Enjoy!
Terri says
Great soup! Thank you!
Kristy Richardson says
So glad you loved the soup Terri! -Kristy
Nikki says
On the milk for the x2 and x1 recipe they both say 1/4 for the slurry and 1 1/4 for the rest of the milk bit one is using 2 cups and the other is using 3 cups a little confused on this?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Nikki,
Unfortunately, the instructions don’t change when you use the 1x versus 2x option. That option only helps you to double or triple the ingredients. It’s a neat feature of my recipe card, but I currently can’t make the recipe card double the amounts in the written instructions. (Though I can suggest it to the tech developer as feedback!)
If you are doubling everything and it is getting tricky, it might be helpful to hit the print recipe button. Then you can print the recipe out to write notes on it to make it a little easier to double everything before you have your hands full of ingredients.
Hope that helps,
-Kristy
Teri says
How would this convert to cooking in a pressure cooker time wise?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Teri- I have not made this recipe in my pressure cooker, so these instructions are estimates based on other soups I have made. I’d cook the potato and meat mixture (without the cheese and dairy) for 10-12 minutes on high or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Then switch to the saute mode, add the dairy components and cook until all the cheese has mixed into the soup and the soup has thickened, likely 10-15 minutes but it may take a little longer depending on your machine. You could also use your instant pot as a slow cooker and follow the directions as is. Hope that helps! -Kristy
Etta Ortegon says
What can swap the ham with
Kristy Richardson says
Martha- You could double the bacon instead, or add cooked Italian sausage. -Kristy
Denise says
Bologna bought in a chunk and cut up or hot dog coins or the ever popular Spam…lol….I am not a fan of spam but my husband LOVES IT!
Dana says
Can I add better than bullion to 2 cups of water for my stock? And I don’t have frozen corn just canned? Should I add that at the end? One more thing.. could I boil the carrots then cut them in bit size pieces then add to crockpot at end with the corn?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Dana,
Happy to help. Yes, you can substitute better than bullion to 2 cups of water for the stock, you can do that swap for any recipe that asks for broth.
You can use canned corn, but I recommend draining it and rinsing it well, as most canned corn will be packed with salt in the can and frozen corn is not packed with salt.
You can add both the carrots and the corn at the same time as the other vegetables so they will be tender when it’s time to eat. I have edited the recipe to make it more clear as to when to add the corn.
Soup is pretty forgiving overall, and I’m sure it will be delicious! Let me know how it goes! -Kristy
Jackie says
Could I replace the chicken broth with homemade ham bone broth?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Jackie, Sure you should be able to switch chicken broth with homemade ham bone broth without a problem. If the soup is too thick because your bone broth is on the thicker side, you may need to add a little more water to the soup but that would be the only change. Hope it’s delicious! -Kristy