Crockpot Potato Soup with Frozen Hashbrowns

I used to make this from scratch. One day I thought about substituting bagged potatoes and it only took 10 minutes to prep. I just set it and forget it when I leave for the day and it has been one of the best Crockpot recipes we now make several times a month during the Winter.

Having a good-quality easy loaded potato soup recipe is a must, especially on those cold nights when you want something extra warm and comforting. This is a way easier version you can make when you don’t have time to peel and dice russets in the morning before work.

The best part is that your slow cooker does ALL the work for you. All you have to do is throw it all in in the morning hours, stir and enjoy when you’re home. To make it even more fun you could load a few bowls filled with toppings and wrap them in plastic wrap to use later. Cheese, green onions, bacon bits, sour cream, the list goes on and on for this one.

It doesn’t matter if you are just learning to cook or are an old pro; you will love how minimal effort is needed to make it creamy. I’m not saying I am lazy, but I love a good recipe that I don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen cooking. 🙂

Ingredient Notes

All you need are 5 ingredients for the basics (you can add goodies from there). To start you need to grab a bag of frozen hash brown potatoes. Do not defrost these babies, you are going to empty the contents of the bag as is right out of the freezer.

Then you likely have a can of cream of chicken soup (or homemade cream of mushroom soup works too) to make it creamy. Either flavor works, you can find dairy free versions of this online too if you need it.

Chicken broth, stock or beef broth works as an alternative to thin it out and create more of a soupy consistency rather than a casserole.

Cheddar cheese should be shredded. You can use less or more depending on your preferences. We like a lot so I add an additional 1/2 cup to top bowls when done too.

Heavy cream will make a creamy potato dish, dairy free alternative is okay too. Whole milk will work but it will be a thinner consistency so my suggestion is the heavy version.

Substitutions and Variations

I don’t feel like you need much salt and pepper in this but add some at the end if you want. Whenever I’m cooking I use light seasonings when I’m cooking and amp it up at the end.

How can I add flavor to potato soup?

There are man other optional add ins you can include to amp up the flavor even more. I love a handful of bacon bits or leftover ham, diced green onions are sometimes fun with croutons on top. The list does on and on as far as that goes.

You can also add in the soup inself some chopped up broccoli florets for vegetables, frozen corn kernels cook to tender when you stir in the heavy cream in the last hour when cheese is melted.

Can you use raw potatoes instead?

For this recipe, you will need a bag of frozen hashbrowns, and they will cook up beautifully. If you want to swap for regular potatoes you can by chopping them up so they are small bite-sized pieces (or grating on a cheese grater is better) and the cook time won’t change.

How do I thicken up my potato soup?

Overall the soup is a great consistency and texture, but if you prefer it thicker, you can use cornstarch to thicken by mixing 2 -3 tablespoons of it to the heavy cream and stirring it well. Then slowly pour it into the soup about 30 minutes before serving. This will make it thicker.

If you are out of cornstarch, you could also use flour. Add in ¼ cup of flour to the heavy cream and stir it very well. Make sure it doesn’t have any lumps, then pour it into the crock pot 30 minutes before serving.

How to Serve

I typically will serve this with a batch of air fryer rolls, crusty bread, or breadsticks are also pretty tasty options. Any kind of meat like chicken, steak, or fish will go with it as well.  Naturally, salads go with almost anything. I like to stick with a basic garden salad, but you could go with something bigger and fancier if you’d rather.

Other potato recipes you’ll love

In the recipe card you can print it and keep handy for later. Of course we love “seeing you” too though so feel free to come back as often as you’d like, don’t go away friends. 😉 Other great recipes and cheap Crockpot meals you might like this one are below:

• Our slow cooker breakfast casserole using these same bagged potatoes.
• You can use these to make air fryer frozen hashbrowns with cheese on top.
• These Crockpot cheesy potatoes are another great brunch option.