Let’s talk about one of the easiest, coziest, most satisfying dinners I’ve made in a while. Well, I say that “I” made it, but my 5-year-old actually did most of the cooking! Yeah, that’s how easy it is.
This Crock Pot potato soup recipe, shared by cookbook author Matthew Bounds (@yourbarefootneighbor) is creamy, savory and full of flavor, just like a loaded baked potato soup you’d spend a lot more time making, but better because it couldn’t be easier to pull together.
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@yourbarefootneighbor We’re cooking #crockpot -ato soup today #potatosoup #easyrecipe #crockpotrecipes #cooking
♬ original sound – Your Barefoot Neighbor
How to Make the Easiest Potato Soup Ever
The process starts with browning some ground sausage with onions and garlic on the stovetop. (That’s the one part I did without the assistance of my little helper.) Once the sausage was browned, we transferred it to the slow cooker. From there, it was all about dumping in ingredients and letting the Crock Pot do its magic.
We added chicken stock for a flavorful base, plus just a little water to thin it out. Then came some garlic powder, salt and pepper for extra seasoning. A whole bag of frozen tater tots went straight in (no chopping, no peeling, no mess) and then we added in a packet of ranch seasoning, which gave the soup a tangy, herby punch that made it taste like it had been simmering all day. (Note: the creator of this recipe uses frozen hash browns, but I had tater tots on-hand, so I used those instead, and this still turned out great!)
After that, we set the Crock Pot on low and walked away for three hours.
After the three hours were up, we added the final touches—a whole block of cream cheese and a generous handful of shredded cheese. Once stirred and mashed a bit (my 5-year-old loved this part), the tots broke down and the soup turned thick, creamy and rich.
We gave it another hour to let everything melt together and thicken up. The result was a velvety, thick soup loaded with flavor from the seasoning. The cream cheese made it nice and creamy and the shredded cheese added a gooey, melty texture. It was like someone turned a loaded baked potato into the coziest soup ever!
To serve, we added chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream on top, just like you’d finish off a baked potato. If we’d had bacon bits, those would’ve gone right on top too (next time for sure!). But even without the bacon, it was absolutely delicious, and the kind of meal that made the whole house smell amazing.
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Why This Is a Must-Make Recipe, Even on Your Busiest Days
This Crock Pot soup is exactly the kind of recipe busy families dream about. It’s hands-off, full of flavor and easily customizable. You can use spicy or mild sausage, swap out the ranch seasoning for onion soup mix or even add in chopped spinach or kale for a little green boost. It’s hearty enough to stand on its own but would be perfect with toast or a side salad.
It’s also the perfect “starter soup” for little chefs in the making. My 5-year-old had a blast helping me stir, dump ingredients into the pot and mash the tater tots at the end. Because there’s very little chopping or knife work, and most of the steps are done right in the Crock Pot, it’s an ideal way to get kids excited about helping in the kitchen.
And the best part was that everyone in the family loved it! There were no complaints, no picky eaters turning up their noses and the leftovers were even better the next day, making this a great option for meal prep or make-ahead lunches.
This soup is definitely going in our regular dinner rotation!
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