Crockpot Cheddar Potato Soup with Bacon
This crockpot cheddar potato soup is thick, creamy and loaded with bacon. Potatoes simmer in broth with onion and garlic, get mashed to your preferred texture, and finish with cream cheese and sharp cheddar. Cheddar bacon potato soup crockpot style is dinner without any standing at the stove.
8
servings20
minutes8
hoursDiced potatoes cook in broth until soft, then get partly mashed. Cream cheese, cheddar and milk finish the soup.
Ingredients
3 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced
Sour cream, for serving
Directions
- Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, broth, salt, pepper, paprika and thyme to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours, until potatoes are very soft.
- Mash about half the potatoes right in the pot with a potato masher. Leave some chunks for texture.
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted.
- Pour in the milk and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 20 minutes.
- Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until melted. Do not let it boil.
- Stir in half the bacon.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls.
- Top with remaining bacon, green onions and a spoonful of sour cream.
Notes
- Use Yukon golds for a naturally creamy texture. Russets work but break down more. Add a cup of frozen corn in the last 30 minutes. Store leftovers for four days; the soup thickens as it sits, so thin with a splash of milk when reheating. It does not freeze well because of the potatoes and dairy.
Why potato soup is a natural for the slow cooker
Potato soup needs only time. Diced potatoes simmer in broth with onion and garlic until they are very soft, and then you mash some of them right in the pot. The starch thickens the soup on its own, with no flour roux and no stirring over a stove. If you are short on time, you can dice the potatoes the night before and keep them in cold water in the fridge. Drain and dry them before they go into the pot.
The dairy comes at the end. This crockpot cheddar potato soup would break if cream cheese, milk and cheddar cooked for hours, so they go in during the last half hour on low. The result is thick, creamy and loaded with bacon, like a baked potato in a bowl.
Ingredient notes
Yukon gold potatoes: Three pounds, peeled and diced. They are naturally buttery and creamy. Russets work but break down more and make a grainier soup.
Chicken broth: Five cups of low-sodium broth give a clean base. You can adjust the salt at the end once the bacon and cheese are in.
Bacon: Cook it until crisp, then crumble it. Half goes into the soup and half on top, so each bowl has a crunchy finish.
Cream cheese and milk: Four ounces of cream cheese add body, and whole milk keeps the soup rich without turning heavy.
Sharp cheddar: Shred it from a block. Bagged cheese has a coating that leaves the soup gritty.
Thyme and smoked paprika: Small amounts give the soup a savory, slightly smoky backbone that goes well with bacon.
Tips for the best result
Mash only half: Use a potato masher right in the pot and leave some chunks. A fully mashed soup turns to paste, and a chunky one lacks body. A potato masher is the best tool. A blender turns the soup to glue, because overworked potato starch gets gummy.
Add cheese slowly: Stir in the cheddar a handful at a time and keep the heat low. A cheese sauce that boils turns oily and grainy.
Do not add the dairy early: The most common mistake is dropping the milk and cheese in at the start. After hours of heat they curdle and separate. Wait until the potatoes are done, then add the cream cheese, milk and cheddar in that order.
Swaps and variations
Frozen corn added in the last 30 minutes brings sweetness. Swap half the broth for water for a lighter soup, add a pinch of cayenne for warmth, or stir in chopped broccoli for a loaded broccoli version.
Instant potato flakes do not work as a base. They make the soup gluey and lack the natural creaminess of real potatoes. For a thicker soup, mash a few of the cooked cubes against the side of the pot rather than reaching for flour.
What to serve with it
A thick soup like this goes well with a crisp green salad and some warm, crusty bread. Top each bowl with extra bacon, green onions and a spoonful of sour cream. Set out hot sauce and black pepper at the table. A small bowl of pickled jalapenos on the side wakes up the creamy soup, and a plain baked potato skin or two on the table makes it a bigger meal.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Thin the soup with a splash of milk when you reheat it, and warm it over low heat while stirring often. Do not let it boil, or the dairy can split.
This soup does not freeze well. The potatoes turn grainy and the dairy separates, so plan to eat it within four days. Keep the bacon in a separate container and sprinkle it on fresh, so it stays crisp instead of turning chewy.
