There’s something about early winter afternoons that can feel impossibly bleak. The sun is setting but you feel like you just ate lunch. Except that you’re hungry. And cold. And this, my friends, is the day that crockpot potato soup was made for. You overachievers might serve this as a first course, but it’s one of my favorite slow cooker dinners. I usually just pair it with a sandwich and call it a day.

This is perfect to start after lunch and have cooking throughout the afternoon. While the soup is cooking, cook and crumble the bacon, shred the cheese, and slice the green onions so that your toppings are ready when the soup is done.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Make sure your slow cooker is big enough (6 quarts or larger) to hold everything. If you want a completely smooth soup, you can use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker, but it’s not necessary. For the hashbrowns, grab a 28-ounce bag of Potatoes O’Brien from the freezer section. If you can’t find Potatoes O’Brien, use plain frozen hashbrowns and add chopped bell peppers and onions for extra flavor.

If you prefer fresh potatoes, you can use that. (But honestly, it’s so much more work!) and doesn’t save any Simply chop a few peeled potatoes into small pieces. Measure out 4 cups and add them to the slow cooker in step one.

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Equipment

Slow cooker (6 quart or larger)

Ingredients

For the Soup

4 cups frozen hashbrown potatoes with peppers and onions (often labeled “Potatoes O’Brien”)
3 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup half & half (or heavy cream)
¼ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

Toppings

½ cup Colby Jack cheese (shredded)
½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1 green onion (sliced)

If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Just make sure your crockpot is big enough!

How to Make Crockpot Potato Soup

Step One: Cook Veggies In Broth And Seasoning

Put the hashbrowns, chicken stock, salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, and mix them well. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours until the potatoes are soft.

crockpot with frozen hash browns with onions and peppers.

Step Two: Prepare The Roux

When the potatoes are almost ready, melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the flour while whisking until smooth. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the time, to get rid of the flour taste.

Step Three: Add Dairy

Slowly add the half & half while stirring. Turn up the heat to medium-high and keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Take it off the heat and mix in the sour cream until it’s all combined. (Optional: If you want the soup smoother, you can use a hand blender or pour it into a regular blender and blend until it’s smooth.)

Step Four: Combine And Finish Cooking

Add the half & half mixture to the slow cooker with the potatoes. Mix well. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 30 minutes until the flavors mix and the soup thickens.

Step Five: Garnish

Serve the soup hot, garnished with shredded Colby Jack cheese, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions.

Storage Instructions

Put any leftovers in a sealed container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm it up on the stove or in the microwave, on low heat, giving it a stir now and then. Add a splash of milk or stock to make it creamy again.

I know a lot of people say not to freeze dairy, but I’ve never had a problem freezing this for a month or so.

What to Serve with Crockpot Potato Soup

This is is great with any kind of homemade French bread, or any sandwich.

But if you want to serve this as a first course for a full meal, serve it with:

These easy sourdough rolls are great on the side of any soup.
If you need the meal to be more filling, buttermilk fried chicken is delicious.
A fresh cucumber and onion salad will balance the meal.
And no one will turn down a big slice of blackberry raspberry pie.

More Crockpot Recipes

While you’re at the store, pick up a regular bag of frozen hashbrowns and make cheesy crockpot hash browns – they work as breakfast OR dinner!
Try crockpot cheesy chicken broccoli and rice – a classic and simple dinner that everyone will love.
One of my favorite ways to make potatoes is adding bacon and cheese in this slow cooker cheesy bacon ranch potatoes recipe.
Make this slow cooker pork roast for a Sunday dinner.