Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup – Cozy Comfort Food Dinner

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you—I’ve made this crockpot potato soup at least fifty times, and I still get excited every single time. There’s something about walking into your house after work and smelling that incredible, creamy, potato-y goodness that just makes everything better. And trust me, I’ve messed this up before (more on that disaster later), but now I’ve got it down to a science.

Everyone keeps asking me for this recipe, so here goes nothing. This isn’t some fancy restaurant version—it’s the kind of soup that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a giant bowl and forget the world exists.

Why This Crockpot Potato Soup Actually Works :

Okay, so here’s the thing about most potato soup recipes online—they’re either too thin, too thick, or they taste like… well, nothing. I think I tried about twelve different versions before I figured out what was going wrong. The secret? Don’t dump everything in at once like I used to do.

My neighbor Sarah swears by adding the dairy at the end (she’s right), and my mom always said to mash some but not all of the potatoes. Turns out they both knew what they were talking about. Who knew moms and neighbors could be so smart about soup?

The Ingredients That Actually Matter :

Here’s what you need for this crockpot potato soup, and please don’t substitute unless you absolutely have to :

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and diced—don’t be lazy about the peeling)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (I cry every single time, even with contacts)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced (or more if you’re like me and obsessed with garlic)
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and diced (save some for topping!)
• 3 cups chicken broth (low-sodium if you’re watching salt)
• 4 tablespoons butter (real butter, not the fake stuff)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces evaporated milk (trust me on this instead of heavy cream)
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

Good luck finding decent bacon this time of year at a reasonable price. I usually just buy whatever’s on sale and call it good. And please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t buy pre-shredded cheese. It’s gross and doesn’t melt right.

How to Make This Crockpot Potato Soup :

Step 1: Prep Everything (Don’t Skip This)

Dice your potatoes into roughly 1-inch pieces—doesn’t have to be perfect, but try to keep them somewhat even so they cook at the same rate. I learned this the hard way when half my potatoes were mush and the other half were still crunchy. Disaster. Complete disaster.

Cook your bacon until it’s crispy, then crumble it up. Save half for the soup and half for topping because bacon makes everything better. Set aside that beautiful bacon grease—we’re not using it for this recipe, but save it for something else.

Step 2: Load Up the Crockpot

Throw the diced potatoes, onion, garlic, half the bacon, and parsley into your slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Give it a stir—nothing fancy, just make sure everything’s mixed.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. I always do low because I’m usually at work, but high works if you’re in a hurry. The potatoes should be fork-tender when they’re done.

Step 3: The Magic Roux Part (Don’t Panic)

Here’s where most people mess up, and where I definitely messed up the first three times. About 30 minutes before serving, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until it’s completely combined—this is your roux.

Slowly—and I mean SLOWLY—whisk in the evaporated milk. If you dump it all in at once, you’ll get lumps. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and starts to simmer. This takes maybe 5 minutes, but it feels like forever.

Step 4: Bring It All Together

Add the milk-flour mixture to your crockpot and stir to combine. Now comes the fun part—use a potato masher to mash about 3/4 of the potatoes, leaving some chunks for texture. Don’t puree the whole thing unless you want baby food consistency.

Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Everything should melt together into creamy, cheesy heaven. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Step 5: Final Cook and Serve

Cover the crockpot again and cook on low for another 30 minutes, or high for 15 minutes. This lets all the flavors meld together and ensures the cheese is completely melted.

Serve hot with the remaining bacon, extra cheese, chives, or whatever makes you happy. I always have crusty bread on standby for dipping.

My Epic Crockpot Potato Soup Failures :

Let me tell you about the time I tried to make this for a potluck and forgot to cook the bacon first. Threw raw bacon chunks right into the crockpot like some kind of amateur. The result? Chewy, weird bacon bits floating in otherwise decent soup. Everyone was too polite to say anything, but I saw the looks.

Another time—and this still haunts me—I added the dairy at the beginning because I was “saving time”. The evaporated milk curdled into these gross little chunks that looked like cottage cheese gone wrong. Had to start over completely.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on the Great Cheese Disaster of last winter. Used the pre-shredded stuff and wondered why my soup looked like it had rubber bands floating in it. Lesson learned: always shred your own cheese.

Tips That Actually Work :

Make it ahead: This soup actually tastes better the next day. The flavors have time to get to know each other or whatever fancy chefs say. Just reheat gently and add a splash of milk if it’s too thick.

Freeze it: You can freeze this for up to 3 months, but the texture might be a little different when you thaw it. I usually make a double batch and freeze half for those days when I can’t be bothered to cook.

Too thick? Add more broth or milk gradually until you get the consistency you want. Too thin? Mix a little cornstarch with cold water and stir it in.

Vegetarian version: Skip the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Still delicious, just different.

This recipe serves about 6 people, but let’s be real—if you’re like me, you’ll eat half the pot yourself. No judgment here. Sometimes you just need a giant bowl of creamy, cheesy comfort in your life.

Seriously, try this and tell me what you think. I’m always looking for ways to make it even better, so if you have any brilliant ideas, share them. Now I’m craving this soup again just from writing about it. Thanks a lot, brain.