Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup is the easiest soup you’ll ever make. You only need a handful of ingredients and a crockpot!!
Cheesy Potato Soup is the first to disappear at potlucks! It goes so well served in a bread bowl, just like some of our other favorite soups including Broccoli Potato Soup and Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Easy Potato Soup (A family fav)
One of my favorite things to do when the weather cools down is to have soup with bread bowls (other favorites include Broccoli Cheese Soup and Chicken Tortilla Soup ), especially this simple Cheesy Potato Soup.
I have a lot of crock pot soup recipes, but this one is my favorite slow cooker soups of all time because it’s SO EASY!
I love that all the ingredients can be thrown in the crockpot and hours later you have a delicious, hash brown potato soup.
If you love a good hearty soup, you will definitely want to save this recipe. It’s always the first gone at every Soup Potluck we’ve been to (no joke)!
How to Make Cheesy Potato Soup
I almost wish there were more instructions for this recipe, because the recipe card looks really empty, but that just proves this is the easiest potato soup recipe.
COMBINE. Melt butter in the crockpot, then add the thawed hash browns, cream of chicken, cream of celery and half and half. Stir to combine well.
HEAT. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
GARNISH + SERVE! Add cheese, salt (we love the garlic salt with parsley flakes), and pepper right before serving.
This hash brown potato soup is so thick and cheesy and flavorful! If you want it to be less thick, be sure to add some more half and half or chicken broth until it’s the consistency you like.
Make it On the Stovetop
Making this soup on the stovetop in a large pot is simple too. Here is how to make it:
- Melt the butter in a large pot, add the thawed hash browns, cream of chicken, cream of celery and half and half.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and cook on low for 30-40 minutes (or until potatoes are tender).
- Add cheese, salt and pepper before serving.
toppings + FAQ
This soup is very easy to change up and can be added to with just the toppings. Here are some of our favorite potato soup toppings:
- extra cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- bacon crumbles
- chives or green onions
- of course – salt and pepper
Can we add ham? Yes, omit the bacon as a topping and add ham or keep both. The addition of protein makes this cheesy potato soup recipe even more hearty.
Can we sub out for the cream of celery? Yes. You can add another can of cream of chicken or our favorite is to add a can of creamed corn.
Can we use heavy cream instead of half and half? Yes – both work.
How to store? Store covered soup in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to reheat? To reheat, just microwave or heat soup over medium heat in a pot. You may need to add more half and half when reheating because soup may be chunky.
For more potato soup recipes, check out:
- Baked Potato Soup
- Potato Bacon Soup
- Loaded Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
- Chicken and Potato Florentine Soup
- Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup
Collections: Crockpot Soups, Easy Soups
Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 (32oz) package frozen hash browns cubed and thawed
- 2 cans cream of chicken
- 1 can cream of celery
- 3 cups Half and Half
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese, salt and pepper).
- Cook in crockpot on high for 3-4 hours.
- Add 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper before serving. Use reserve cheese to sprinkle on top.
I never even thought of using hashbrowns! Ingenious! …no spices though beyond salt & pepper?
Nope!! I promise, it is SO good!! I think the Cream of Chicken and Cream of Celery, along with the cheese and butter make it so lots of spices aren’t necessary. 🙂 Let me know if you give it a try!
How much butter did you use? Looks delicious!
Its almost soup weather here in Colorado. I can’t wait to try this recipe.. Looks so yummy and better yet super easy to make in the crock pot. Thanks for sharing!
Yummy Yummy. Can’t wait to try it. I too am curious about how much butter to use? Thanks for sharing!
Hi. How much butter did you use for this recipe? What brand of hash browns did you use?
The ultimate comfort food made simple. That is seriously ingenious of you to use already prepared items so that you don’t even have to peel or cut up the potatoes, which is time-saving for busy people. Your photos look so inviting and the soup looks incredibly luscious. Oh no; now I feel like I need to make this today. The weather is chilly. It’s raining outside and what goes perfectly with that kind of scenario? Cheesy Potato Soup!
Now we just need a whole grain bread bowl recipe to go with the soup! :O)
Well fortunately for me this week it’s not soup weather as its supposed to be in the 60’s this week in Annapolis, Maryland so no soup for me this week :). Oh darn … I’ll keep the warm weather :). But when the weather turns and Lord knows it will to my dismay, I’ll be making this soup :). Looks soooo yummy!!!
So… one package of hashbrowns… does that mean about 30 ounces? SO excited to make this!
How many people does this feed?? My daughter is thinking this is definitely worth making one cool day and watching nothing but Chick Flicks!
Hi this recipe sounds amazing ive been looking for a potato soup recipe for awhile. Any ideas to switch out the cream of chicken im a vegetarian n i dont eat that just wondering if maybe cream of brocolli will work ?
Theres tons of soup op. HOPEFULLY you trIed it and will let us know how it worked. Campbells makes all kindS of Cream of VEGETABLE soups. I like cream of POTATO. Good lUCk!
I had to write this recipe down. I love potato soup and anything in a crockpot. Love your blog!
I made this last night for the family and it was absolutely delicious! The lid on my crock pot broke (for the 2nd time!), so I just made it over the stove. I brought the soup to a simmer, and left it on low for 2 hours. SO YUMMY!!!
Mind if I post this on my site??? I’ll link to you of course!
Thanks, Cait
I made this for supper tonight and my family just finished eating it. The verdict: this was a very tasty soup recipe, however, even after subbing our some of the half and half for 1% milk, it was very heavy (in fact, it was kind of solid–I dipped a fairly large piece of steak into it and it came off of my fork and ended up sitting on top of the surface). Tasty, though!!
The weather turned nasty today and I thought it would be the perfect time to try this soup. OMG it was sooooo yummy! I did add some crumbled up bacon and a little green onion, but honestly I don’t think it really needed either (was yummy w/ the bacon though!). The soup was really thick and hearty, and the texture of the hash browns was perfect. Hubby loved it too, and he is not easily impressed. I will definitely make this, again and again! I did use fat free half and half. Maybe next time I’ll use the low fat cheddar (when I start my diet after the 1st).
So glad it was yummy and was perfect for your cold day!! Thanks for leaving a comment. Made my day! 😀
I tried this soup last night and it was awesome AND easy! Right us my alley!
Im makin this right now and it looks so yummy!! cant wait to try it!!
We made it for dinner tonight, but instead of using hashbrowns we used a few cans of sliced white potatoes that we had for food storage since they were getting ready to expire. We will definitely be making it again! It was delish! 😀
How big is the bag of hashbrowns? The only thing I need to know. I have all the ingredients and I want to cook this for dinner tomorrow. Thanks!
I made this yesterday for my wife and myself, It is so easy to make and very very delicious.will be making this again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
So yummy; definitely going in menu rotation!!! Thank you for sharing
Favorite soup is. Copy cat Olive Garden Minestrone…I don’t follow recipesverywell, especially the amount of veggies, I usually double them, for thicker better for you soups.
I’d love to see a link for a Copycat recipe for this if you have one. 🙂
Does the recipe require a small round crock pot or a large oval one? I seem to burn too many recipes because I have a large crockpot and no one tells you which is needed. Thanks!
I’ve made it in both kinds and both have worked fine. 🙂
Hi im trying this recipe tonight except im going to use dried chives in it and also add bacon ill let yall know how it turns out
Ooooh, sounds delicious! Let me know how it ends up. 😀
It is amazing and i didnt even add the cheese salt or pepper yet!! Must try this
SO glad to hear that you liked it Peggy. We made it for dinner last night and I was reminded how easy it is, as well as how yummy it is too! 🙂
I made this soup the other night and it was delicious. I switched it up a little by adding some frozen chicken breasts and a can of chicken broth at the beginning. A few minutes before I was going to serve the soup, I shredded the chicken with two forks and added some steamed broccoli. A very tasty, easy meal!
Oh yum – Steamed broccoli sounds delicious!!
I am going to make this tmr and have a couple questions!! 🙂
-how much butter do you melt in the crock pot?
-I got a package of frozen hashbrowns (they look like what you would get from McDonalds) how many of those do i use? put them in whole or break them up?
-can i cook on low for 8 hours instead of on high for 4 hours?
This was really good. I had a 32 oz bag of cubed hashbrowns. I thought it was going to be too thick once I mixed it together so I added about a cup of 1% milk. It still turned out plenty thick. I put all the cheese on side, along with some crumbled bacon and chopped green onion. Super good, will definitely make this again.
So glad it was a hit – and bacon is definitely a great addition. 🙂 Such an easy and delicious soup!
Can you tell me how much a cup is in ounces please?
1 cup is 8 ounces.
I added bacon and green onions to this as well. It turned out super thick so I added 1/2c milk and 1c water to thin it a little. Still tastes great!
Hi, what is the 1 pint Half and Half? Is it milk? I’m from UK many thanks x
Wikipedia gives this definition: In the United States, the dairy product half and half is a mixture of one part milk and one part cream.[1] I have also substituted evaporated milk in some recipes. Or if you want to cut down on the fat content, just use milk. Some people added more milk and water as the soup was too thick for their taste.
I tried this recipe and it was delicious!! the only thing i found was that it was really thick like stew almost… has anyone tried it with just 2 % milk rather than half and half? Wanting to make it again but want it a little more runny.
Yes, it is pretty thick, so if you want it more runny I suggest adding double the amount of milk/half and half. 😉
Its the first really cold day here in Ohio and I just put this on for dinner tonight. (Can’t wait!)
We couldn’t find “cubed” hashbrowns. We could only find the patties. Did I get the wrong ones or will that work?
How did this work out?
I have made a variation of this soup that uses a brick of cream cheese in the last 30 minutes of crock-pot cooking (in lieu of cream of celery and half&half). I usually add a package (16 oz) of diced ham cubes as well. Oh, and if I can find them, I use the Potatoes O’Briend (frozen hash browns with peppers & onions). SO good and super simple!!
When making this do you add the water the cream soups call for?
No, but if you do want to thin it out you can add water or chicken broth. 😉
Made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. I questioned how “baked potato soup” with condensed chicken and celery soup would be, but it couldn’t have tasted any better. Fantastic recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi there. I was also curious as to what size bag of hash browns. Im assuming the cans of cream of celery are the normal size, 14.5 ounces or whatever it usually it? lol. If you could let me know that Id appreciate it! Looks delicious by the way 🙂
Thursday nights supper sorted for this week, thank you for sharing the recipe. I love soups too.
My boyfriend and I LOVE this soup! It’s dead easy to make and it reheats perfectly!
That’s why I love it!!! Thanks so much for letting me know!!
Have you ever cooked this soup on Low for 6-8 hours? I’m wondering if I can start it in the morning, before the work day. Thank you!
Should work fine 🙂 Enjoy!
Am so anxious for the Chili’s receipe for enchilada soup.
After reading the comments that the soup was very thick, I went ahead and made the soup but added two can fulls of milk right away. It came out creamy and not too thick or runny. I also took about 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pan and mixed them in. It was perfect! I love all of the recipes on this blog and I recommend them to all of my friends who ask for dinner recommendations. Thank you, Lil Luna!
Awe, you are so nice!! Thank you for sharing all the recipes 🙂 And, thank you for sharing what you did!
Soo easy and soo good! Thanks!
This is my favorite!! I am glad you liked it! Thank you!
Easy, creamy, cheesy, and YUMMY!!! its barely hitting “soup weather” here in SoC, but i just HAD to make this! Super easy and super delicious!!
Yay!! I am so glad you think so! Thank you so much for trying it!
This is one of my favorite soups ever!! I love how cheesy, smooth, & creamy it is! Adding it in a bread bowl is such a comforting food!! Best of all, the crock pot does all the work!
This soup is perfect for fall time! so rich in flavor!
AnoTher fan favorite soup! That is not only good but so simple to make. You will be thinking how could sonething so simple be sooo good.
I have made this probably 5 times since saving it 2 months ago. It is my go to and our favorite recipe weve tried. The bread bowl tip from panera was spot on and makes thenperfect addition to this soup. Although its amazing without them. And the best part is it is So easy!!
I am so glad to hear that!! We love this soup, too! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
I made this a few weeks back and my almost 13 year old was asking for it AGain! He at first was not wanting to try iT and had two bowls! DEFINITELY a win at our house!
Yay!! Tell him thank you for trying it & liking it 🙂
This was so tasty and easy!! Thanks you!!!
Glad to share 🙂 Happy you liked it! Thank you!
I love this time of year and all the yummy soup recipes! This ones is a KEEPER! Can I say AMAZING!!!
This is everything a gourmet soup should be and then some! Looking forward to warming up with this on a cool evening!
I have made this recipe over and over and it is so easy and good. We love this soup!
Currently my mom’s favorite recipe, thank you!
I’ve been looking for a good potato soup recipe. This one is great. I love putting dinner in the crockpot in the morning and boom it’s done when you get home.
Love the bread bowls paired with this soup – the perfect combo!!
So, are we to assume hash browns only come in one size bag? I would think not. I’ve never bought them, but would assume there’s 1 lb bags and 2 lb bags, and maybe other sizes.
Also, there’s no mention as to whether I would just dump everything in the crockpot and leave it, or if everything should be stirred together.
I added that it is a 32 ounce bag & I usually give a quick stir.
This recipe is seriously amazing…comfort food at it’s finest! It has become one of my favorite go-to soups.
I loved the convenience of using frozen hash browns!!
Easy and sooo cheesy, what more could you want?! Perfect with homemade bread bowls and cold winter nights 🙂
You really can’t go wrong with potato soup. Thank you for making yummy recipes but also making a website that is easy and quick to navigate! ❤️
Best potato soup! Easy and delicious!
This was so yummy!
New favorite soup. Nothing else will do now. So easy ans yummy!!
This recipe was a game changer! Mom of 6 with NO time to peel a million potatoes. Love the hashbrowns instead! So creamy and delicious. Thank you!
I know how you feel! Glad you liked it! Thank you!
Looks delicious with your soup. I’d like to cook one of ’em.
I’m Japanese but I love America food, bc I have host family in Pennsylvania and Texas, and they cook for me such meals like you show here.
They’re delicious so I love.
Thank you. I’ll try to cook one of ’em.
How awesome!! That makes me so happy! I hope you find other recipes to try 🙂
Made this yesterday! I did tweak by adding diced onion and 1 cup velveeta cubes the last 45 minutes. This was super easy and my family loved it!!
Ooh I bet your additions tasted great. Glad to hear your family loved the soup! Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
I have had this pinned on Pinterest for many years now. I like to substitute some red potatoes and russets (leaving the skins on since I’m usually in a hurry) instead of using the hash browns, and I add crumbled bacon on top for a little extra flavor! It’s SO good!
Mmm I bet the variety of potatoes in the soup makes it top notch! And you can never go wrong with some bacon on top. YUM!! Thanks for sharing what you do. So glad you enjoy the soup recipe!
Love this soup! It’s so easy. I make it often for friends and different functions. It’s always the first to go!!!
Yumm!! The whole family loved this soup, it was delicious!
I love easy yummy recipes. This one is one of those! I sever it in bread bowls to look fancy. If your looking for a crowd pleaser, give this a try.
So so delicious!!!
Simple, easy and very tasty! Will make this again.
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed the soup!
This really is the creamiest and cheesiest soup ever!