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Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup with Bacon (Easy Loaded Recipe)

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This creamy crockpot potato soup with bacon is rich, velvety, and loaded with flavor. With minimal prep and a secret cream cheese trick, it’s the ultimate comfort food that practically makes itself.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 3 green onions, sliced thin
  • Extra shredded cheddar cheese for garnish
  • Fresh chives (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon in a cold large skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cool, crumble or chop into small pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet.
  2. In the same skillet with the reserved bacon fat, add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant. Scrape everything into your slow cooker.
  3. Add the diced potatoes, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and dried thyme to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. The liquid should just barely cover the potatoes—if not, add a little more water or broth.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender. About 30 minutes before the end, stir and check seasoning.
  5. Once the potatoes are tender, add the cubed cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and sour cream. Stir until everything is melted and smooth.
  6. If desired, use a potato masher to gently mash about a third of the potatoes right in the slow cooker for a thicker soup. Alternatively, use an immersion blender for a few quick pulses.
  7. Stir in half of the crumbled bacon, reserving the rest for topping. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with extra cheddar, the remaining bacon, sliced green onions, and fresh chives if using. Serve hot.

Notes

Don’t skip the bacon fat step—it adds deep flavor. Add dairy at the end to prevent curdling. For a thicker soup, mash some potatoes directly in the slow cooker. The soup thickens as it cools; thin with milk or broth when reheating. For best results, make a day ahead—flavors meld overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot potato soup, creamy potato soup, loaded potato soup, slow cooker soup, bacon potato soup, easy potato soup

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