Description
This Crock Pot Crack Potato Soup is a comforting and hearty slow-cooked soup featuring tender diced potatoes, savory bacon, creamy cheddar cheese, and a flavorful ranch seasoning. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, this soup combines rich flavors and a smooth texture, especially when blended, and can be customized with toppings like extra cheese, bacon bits, and green onions.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 cups diced potatoes (peeled)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes
- Extra shredded cheddar cheese
- Bacon bits
- Chopped green onions or chives
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes: Peel and dice the potatoes into even-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly throughout the soup.
- Layer ingredients in the crock pot: Place the diced potatoes at the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning evenly over the potatoes. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon on top.
- Add broth: Pour the chicken or vegetable broth over the layered ingredients, making sure the liquid covers everything to allow proper slow cooking.
- Slow cook the soup: Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
- Add cream and season: Stir in the heavy cream or half-and-half, then season the soup with salt and pepper to your taste. For a smoother consistency, blend the soup partially or fully using an immersion blender.
- Serve with garnishes: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with optional garnishes such as extra shredded cheese, bacon bits, or chopped green onions or chives to enhance flavor and presentation.
Notes
- You can substitute half-and-half for heavy cream to reduce the richness slightly.
- Using an immersion blender allows you to customize the texture—from chunky to smooth based on preference.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and omit bacon, or replace bacon with smoked tempeh or mushrooms.
- Make sure potatoes are diced evenly to ensure uniform cooking.
- Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop or in a microwave.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crock pot, potato soup, slow cooker soup, cheddar cheese soup, bacon soup, ranch seasoning, comfort food, easy soup recipe
