Crock Pot Crack Potato Soup is a thick, creamy potato soup loaded with smoky bacon, herby, tangy ranch and melted cheddar. Frozen hash browns, chicken broth and cream of chicken soup cook all day, and the cheeses go in at the very end. It serves 8 and suits a cold fall or winter night.
How to make it: Stir the frozen hash browns, broth, soup, ranch mix and cooked bacon together in a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Whisk in the cheddar and cream cheese for the last 15 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- 5 minutes of prep: once your bacon is cooked, it’s open, pour and stir.
- No peeling or dicing: a bag of frozen shredded hash browns does all the potato work.
- Big flavor in every spoonful: ranch, bacon, sharp cheddar and cream cheese in one creamy bowl.
- Makes a big pot: enough for dinner plus quick, hearty lunches later in the week.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen shredded hash browns: One 30- to 32-ounce bag. They replace peeling and dicing potatoes, and they break down into the soup during the long cook.
Chicken broth: Three 14.5-ounce cans make the savory liquid base.
Cream of chicken soup: One 10.5-ounce can gives the soup its rich, creamy base and helps thicken it. For a gluten-free pot, use gluten-free cream of chicken soup, ranch mix and broth.
Ranch dressing mix: One 1-ounce packet of the dry mix, or 2 tablespoons of homemade ranch seasoning if you keep a jar. It brings an herby, savory, slightly tangy flavor that goes with the potatoes and bacon.
Bacon: A full pound, cooked, drained and chopped before it goes in. A cup of precooked bacon works as a shortcut, and turkey bacon can stand in for pork.
Cheddar and cream cheese: Two cups of shredded cheddar and an 8-ounce package of cream cheese. Sharp cheddar gives the boldest cheese flavor, and the cream cheese adds a velvety, slightly tangy finish.
Ingredients
- 1 bag (30 to 32 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns
- 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of chicken soup, unsalted if you can find it
- 1 package (1 ounce) dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package), cubed
How to Make Crock Pot Crack Potato Soup
1. Fill the slow cooker. Put the frozen hash browns, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, ranch dressing mix and bacon in a 6-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, keeping the lid on.
3. Melt in the cheeses. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the cheddar and cream cheese. Use a whisk to work the cream cheese into the soup, then cover and heat until both are melted and the soup is steaming hot (165°F).
4. Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra cheddar, bacon or sliced green onions, if you like.
Mistakes to Avoid With Crack Potato Soup
This soup is hard to get wrong, but a few small slips show up in the bowl: watery potatoes, white streaks of cream cheese, or cheddar that won’t melt smoothly. Here is what to skip, and what to do instead.
Thawing the hash browns. Tip them in straight from the freezer. Frozen shreds break down gently over the long cook, while thawed hash browns can turn mushy and watery before the soup is done.
Adding cold cream cheese too early. Put in at the start, cream cheese can separate. Save it for the last 15 minutes, and cut it into small cubes at room temperature. Soft cubes melt evenly without lumps; a cold block leaves white streaks and takes longer. Whisk until no streaks are left.
Using pre-shredded cheddar. Bagged shreds carry anti-caking agents that keep the cheese from melting smoothly. Shred a block of sharp cheddar finely and add it slowly while you stir.
Salting before you taste. The ranch mix and bacon already bring plenty of salt, so pepper is usually the only seasoning left to add. Unsalted cream of chicken soup and low-sodium broth leave you in control. Taste after the cheese melts, then decide.
Lifting the lid. Keep it on for the full cook, and take it off only to stir the soup or check it.
Tips for Success
Why is my potato soup so thick?
The potatoes soak up a lot of the broth while they cook. Stir in a splash of chicken broth at a time until the soup is as loose as you like.
How do I thicken it if it’s too thin?
Turn the slow cooker to HIGH. Whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water, stir it into the soup, take the lid off and let it thicken for about 15 minutes. It can take up to 30 minutes.
Should all the bacon go into the pot?
If you want bacon on top as well, keep a handful back before the rest goes in, or cook a little extra.
Can I serve it straight from the slow cooker at a party?
Yes. It makes a big pot, so switch the cooker to WARM once the cheese melts and let everyone ladle their own. USDA FSIS says hot food on a buffet should stay at 140°F or warmer, and a slow cooker is a fine way to keep it there.
Variations
- Fresh potatoes: swap the hash browns for 3 pounds of gold potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 inch thick (about 7 cups), and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. Lightly mash about half of them before the cheese goes in. Russets work too.
- Frozen diced potatoes: a 32-ounce bag in place of the shredded hash browns adds more texture to each spoonful.
- Ham or pepper jack: use 2 cups of diced ham instead of the bacon, or pepper jack instead of cheddar for a spicier pot.
- More vegetables: stir in frozen corn or broccoli florets for the last 30 minutes, or add diced carrots and celery with the potatoes.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. The soup thickens as it sits, so add a splash of chicken broth or milk when you reheat it on the stove or in the microwave, and bring it to a rolling boil (165°F). FSIS does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. You can freeze the soup for 3 to 4 months, but FSIS lists cream sauces among foods that don’t freeze well, and the potatoes and cream cheese can change texture once thawed, so the refrigerator is the better place for it. If you do freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
What to Serve With It
Warm cornbread, biscuits or dinner rolls are all you need, or ladle it into a hollowed-out bread bowl with a simple green salad or a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Saltine crackers and a dash of hot sauce work too. For another potato soup, try Paula Deen’s crockpot potato soup, which skips the ranch, or the 5-ingredient slow cooker loaded potato soup made with fresh potatoes. Crockpot potato broccoli cheddar soup is another cheesy bowl for a cold night. If you love the bacon and ranch combination, you’ll also like crack chicken soup, slow cooker cream cheese crack chicken and this chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main ingredients in crack potato soup?
Frozen shredded hash browns, chicken broth, a can of cream of chicken soup, a packet of dry ranch mix, cooked bacon, cheddar and cream cheese. Seven ingredients in all.
What liquid is best for crock pot potato soup?
Chicken broth, with the cream of chicken soup adding body. For an even creamier bowl, stir 1 cup of half and half in with the cheddar. Any milk works in its place, and heavy cream makes the soup rich and thick.
What makes crack potato soup so good?
The mix of cream cheese, ranch seasoning, bacon and melted cheddar. It is the same combination as crack chicken and crack dip, and the name comes from how hard it is to stop eating.
Can I cook it on HIGH?
Yes. On HIGH it needs 3 to 4 hours instead of 8 on LOW, then finish with step 3 as usual.
Final Notes
Set out small bowls of bacon, shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions and sliced jalapeños so everyone can top their own. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Crock Pot Crack Potato Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen shredded hash browns 30 to 32 ounces, straight from the freezer
- 3 cans chicken broth 14.5 ounces each
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces; unsalted if you can find it
- 1 package ranch dressing mix 1 ounce, dry
- 1 pound bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 package, cubed
Instructions
- Put the frozen hash browns, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, ranch dressing mix and bacon in a 6-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, keeping the lid on.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the cheddar and cream cheese. Use a whisk to work the cream cheese into the soup, then cover and heat until both are melted and the soup is steaming hot (165°F).
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra cheddar, bacon or sliced green onions, if you like.
