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Creamy crockpot potato soup topped with bacon, cheddar and green onions.

Crockpot Potato Soup (Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Soup)

A cozy, creamy crockpot potato soup finished with bacon, cheddar and green onions. Tender russet potatoes cook low and slow, then get mashed and enriched with cream and cream cheese for that loaded baked potato flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon cooked crispy and crumbled, divided
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened and cut into cubes
  • 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded, divided
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water for slurry
  • 1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced, for serving
  • sour cream for serving
  • hot sauce optional, for serving

Method
 

  1. Add potatoes, onion, celery and garlic to a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth, then dot the top with butter. Sprinkle with thyme, smoked paprika, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and easily smashed with a spoon.
  3. Use a potato masher to mash the soup directly in the slow cooker 8 to 12 times, until the broth looks creamy but there are still soft chunks. You can also blend 2 cups of soup with an immersion blender and return it to the pot.
  4. Whisk cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the soup, cover, and cook on High for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
  5. Reduce heat to Warm. Stir in the cream cheese cubes until completely melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
  6. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
  7. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and half of the crumbled bacon until just melted and combined.
  8. Ladle into bowls and top with remaining cheddar, bacon, and green onions. Add a dollop of sour cream and a few dashes of hot sauce if you like.

Notes

For extra-thick soup, mash more potatoes or add 1 additional teaspoon cornstarch to the slurry.
Shred your own cheddar; it melts smoother than pre-shredded.
If your cream cheese is cold, microwave it in 10-second bursts to soften before stirring in.