Cheesy Potato Soup

Last Updated on January 24, 2025

December 1, 2023

 

Our Cheesy Potato Soup is insanely delicious, pretty much comfort food in a bowl. With a couple of types of cheeses and a punch of dried herbs, there is so much flavor in each bite. Better yet it’s ready to go in under an hour and is easy for any cook to master with perfection.

Finished cheesy potato soup in a white bowl.

When the cold winter months come around, this Cheesy Potato Soup is what my family requests over and over. It’s one of the comforting soups that you don’t even have to simmer all day on the stove, it’s cheesy and rich in under an hour.

It’s layered with flavor between the dried herbs, vegetables, and broth for a great bite every time. We even have a Slow Cooker version if you prefer not to have to cook stovetop. That way you can truly have hands-free cooking.

If you want to try some more of our comforting dinner recipes, we recommend our Million Dollar Tortellini Bake and Crack Chicken and Orzo Soup. 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

  • 35-minute one-pot soup recipe: In less than an hour anyone can have this insanely delicious soup on the table. Plus it only uses one pot making clean up a breeze.
  • Creamy and comforting cheesy potato soup: No matter the time of year, this soup is the kind of comfort food everyone loves.
  • Easy affordable recipe: All of the ingredients are affordable and easy to find at the store.

Ingredients for cheesy potato soup on a black counter. Potatoes, spices, bacon, cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, condensed soup, sour cream, chicken stock, and heavy cream.

Ingredients

  • Red potatoes: The potato base of the soup, they’re rich and creamy. We dice them up for tender potato bits in every bite.
  • Bacon: Adds a smoky flavor and nice crunch.
  • Diced ham: Gives a saltiness and richness to the broth.
  • All-purpose flour: Helps to thicken the soup to the right consistency.
  • Velveeta: The cheese responsible for making this extra cheesy and extra creamy.
  • Cheddar Jack or Cheddar Gruyere: Gives a nice extra boost of cheesy flavor. Use your favorite cheddar here.
  • Whole milk: Adds a creaminess to the roux and broth.
  • Chicken broth: Gives that comforting broth flavor we all love.
  • Cream of chicken soup: Condensed soup that has concentrated chicken flavor that flavors the soup so nicely.
  • Sour cream: Adds another layer of creaminess with each spoonful.
  • Dried rosemary, sage, and thyme: The combination of dried herbs we love to flavor the base with.
  • Garlic powder: Gives a hint of garlic sweetness.
  • Smoked paprika: Adds a rich smokiness that’s infused in the broth.
  • Onion powder: Adds hints of onion in every bite.
  • Potato slayer seasoning: The unique seasoning blend we love to add. If you can’t find potato slayer seasoning,  use 3/4 teaspoon dried dill, 1 tablespoon tomato bouillon, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in its place!

How to Make Cheesy Potato Soup

  1. Boil potato’s separately until fork tender in heavily salted water.

Red potatoes are boiling in a stainless pot of water.

2. In a separate pot (at least 7qts), cook ham for a couple min then remove, then cook diced bacon on medium heat and remove once cooked through.

Bacon being cooked until golden brown in a large black pot. Some of the cooked bacon is being show in a spoon.3. Add flour and whisk to create a roux.

Flour is added to the bacon fat in the pot and stirred to make a roux.

4. Add seasonings and stir into roux (I got ahead of myself and did not do this).

Spices on a white plate are ready to be added to the pot.

5. Slowly add milk and broth. Then cream of chicken and sour cream.

Heavy cream, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream in a measuring cup are ready to be added to the soup in a large black pot. 6. Stir in shredded cheese a handful at a time then add Velveeta.

Shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese are on a baking sheet ready to be added to the soup in the pot. 7. Once Velveeta is melted you can add potatoes, ham, and bacon.

Ham, bacon, and the boiled potatoes are stirred back into the cheesy soup base in the pot.

8. Turn heat all the way to low and cook for about 10-15 min stirring frequently. Enjoy!

The boiled red potatoes are added to the soup to finish and stirred into the big black pot.

Expert Tips

  • Be sure to boil the potatoes separately. This guarantees they are cooked perfectly and don’t become too mushy in the soup.
  • Use the bacon fat as the base for the roux. This infuses the whole recipe with smoky, salty delicious bacon flavor.
  • If your soup is too thin, you can make a slurry of equal parts cornstarch and water and stir it into the hot soup. Allow to simmer until just thickened to the correct consistency.
  • Make your own Potato Slayer Seasoning. If it’s difficult to find potato slayer seasoning, use 3/4 teaspoon dried dill, 1 tablespoon tomato bouillon, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
  • Make the same soup in the slow cooker. We have a recipe for that too, try our Slow Cooker Potato Soup for ease on busy weekday.

Storage

Store any leftover potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the soup on the stove until warmed through or in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

You can also freeze the soup for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Finished cheesy potato soup in a white bowl.

FAQs

  • What is the best cheese to melt in soup? 

A soft melting cheese with a higher moisture content, like shredded cheddar, mozzarella, fontina, or even Velveeta.

  • Do you need to cook potatoes to before putting them in soup? 

We prefer to cook them first so you have more control over their tenderness. You can also cook them in the broth but this may alter the texture of the soup.

  • Why isn’t my potato soup creamy? 

Try adding more roux (flour and butter paste) if you think this is because the broth is too thin. Also add more milk if the soup is too thick and you need to thin. More cheese can also help with creaminess too.

  • Does evaporated milk thicken soup? 

If can thicken soup slightly since it has less water content than regular milk.

More Easy Soup Recipes

Finished cheesy potato soup in a white bowl.

Cheesy Potato Soup

There is not much more comforting than a bowl of potato soup on a cold, winter day. Add in some cheese and bacon and you def have a winner! This recipe is the culmination of a couple years making and tweaking my potato soup recipe until I could get it just right for my viewers. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!
4.84 from 36 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs red potatoes
  • 1 lb bacon
  • 1/2 lb diced ham
  • 1/2 cup flour for roux
  • 16 oz Velvetta
  • 16 oz cheese (cheddar jack or cheddar gruyere)
  • 4 cups milk
  • 32 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup (with herbs)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 tsp Dried rosemary
  • 3/4 tsp Dried sage
  • 3/4 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp onion powder
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp potato slayer seasoning

Instructions

  • Boil potato’s separately until fork tender in heavily salted water.
  • In a separate pot(at least 7qts) Cook ham for a couple min then remove, then cook diced bacon on medium heat and remove once cooked through.
  • Add flour and whisk to create a roux.
  • Add seasonings and stir into roux (I got ahead of myself and did not do this).
  • Slowly add milk and broth. Then cream of chicken and sour cream.
  • Stir in shredded cheese a handful at a time then add Velveeta.
  • Once Velveeta is melted you can add potatoes, ham, and bacon.
  • Turn heat all the way to low and cook for about 10-15 min stirring frequently.  Enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you can’t find potato slayer seasoning,  use 3/4 tsp dried dill, 1 tbsp tomato bouillon, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes in its place! 
Storage: 
Store any leftover potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the soup on the stove until warmed through or in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
You can also freeze the soup for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Tips: 
  • Be sure to boil the potatoes separately. This guarantees they are cooked perfectly and don't become too mushy in the soup.
  • Use the bacon fat as the base for the roux. This infuses the whole recipe with smoky, salty delicious bacon flavor.
  • If your soup is too thin, you can make a slurry of equal parts cornstarch and water and stir it into the hot soup. Allow to simmer until just thickened to the correct consistency.
  • Make your own Potato Slayer Seasoning. If it's difficult to find potato slayer seasoning, use 3/4 teaspoon dried dill, 1 tablespoon tomato bouillon, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
  • Make the same soup in the slow cooker. We have a recipe for that too, try our Slow Cooker Potato Soup for ease on busy weekday.

160 Comments

  1. Alora Perse

    No broth in the list and it says one cup of milk.

    Reply
    • Matt Ramsey

      Corrected, thanks!

      Reply
      • Tammie

        It say sour cream twice. Is this a mistake?

        Reply
        • Matt Ramsey

          Mistake, I’ll correct it. Thanks!

          Reply
          • Sandra

            It’s really good! I did add a finely diced onion after I removed the bacon, before the flour. Allowed to soften and turn translucent before adding flour. It’s really a good recipe.

          • Matt Ramsey

            So glad you enjoyed it!

        • Leah c

          What if I wanted to cook this in the crockpot? How should I adjust the cooking and the chronological way also

          Reply
          • Matt Ramsey

            I have a slow cooker recipe as well. Just search potato and both should come up!

  2. Becca

    I make a potato soup that also includes celery, carrots and onion in it. In my recipe I sauté those in butter by themselves. If I were to incorporate those vegetables in do you think I could do it the same way with this recipe? Just cook them and then put them in at the same time I add the potatoes? Your recipe looks delicious and I’m gonna try to blend yours and mine lol.

    Reply
    • Matt Ramsey

      Yes, that should be fine!

      Reply
  3. Brock Williamson

    had to made this for myself and let me tell you this was absolutely boom 💥 !!!

    Reply
    • Matt Ramsey

      Love it! 🙌

      Reply
      • Renee

        Being Cheese based, any idea how well it freezes/thaws? I would like to freeze in portions for meals later. Has this been done? I know many cheese based items thaw and have a bad/gritty consistency. So just trying to Guage this one before I mess it up! Lol

        It was super yummy, despite the bit of burned bacon…haha!

        Reply
        • Matt Ramsey

          I haven’t tried it, that would be my fear as well.

          Reply
        • Jeremy

          Its been my experience that if you intend to freeze a cheesy thing like this soup or cheezy dips for later consumption follow these steps. 1st make sure it is cooled to room temp this will help prevent bacteria from growing (never put warm or hot foods in the refrigerator or freezer with out allowing the steam to escape so always vent). I like to refrigerate over night them move to freezer next day. 2) When going to reheat from frozen, dont do it, thaw it 24hrs in the refrigerator first at least 24hrs. 3) the best method i find to reheat anything like this is steam like a steamer in a restaurant if you dont have one you can do the simmer in a doubled ziploc bag. If you freeze the soup or dip in the zip lock bag it makes this method easier. Get a 8 to 12 qt pan filled about half way with hot water place on stove on low heat untill its start to simmer ( tiny little bubbles will start forming) but not boiling. Place sealed and doubled up ziploc bag into simmering water for 10 to 20 min being sure to leave the zip up out of the water (also a side note the ziplock freezer bags hold up alot better as they are thicker) heat soups till it reachs 165°F and enjoy

          Reply
        • Rhonda Rutledge

          I do it with my cheese soup all the time just thaw completely and then reheat

          Reply
    • Patricia

      You said 1/2 cup of flour in the video but you listed 1/4 which is it?

      Reply
      • Matt Ramsey

        1/2, corrected it!

        Reply
  4. Glen

    Looks great. Will be trying this soon

    Reply
    • Matt Ramsey

      Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Matt Ramsey

    Will get it corrected, thanks!

    Reply
    • JOYCE CHRZANOWSKI

      What is potato slayer? I’ve never heard of it.

      Reply
      • Matt Ramsey

        It’s the name of a seasoning from “Fire and Smoke Society” brand. I get it at Walmart.

        Reply
        • Dana filbert

          How much of the potatoe slayer and when do you add it? It’s not on the recipe

          Reply
          • Matt Ramsey

            2 Tbsp, I need to fix it. Thanks

      • Trey

        4 stars
        It’s good but there is no way you got yours to thicken on 1/2 cup of flour. I had to use 2 cups. This has to be a mistake.

        Reply
        • Matt Ramsey

          No, made it again today with 1/2 cup…. Try adding your milk more slowly for the first couple cups.

          Reply
        • Diane M

          5 stars
          You sure you letting your roux cook as well Trey? You must let that flour taste cook out.

          Reply
        • Diana

          Mine thickened almost too much! I added the milk slowly first then gradually added the broth after I was starting to thickened. My soup was so thick, I added extra liquid to thin it out a little. So strange that ours were so different!

          Reply
      • Pauline

        I would like to have this to it sounds good

        Reply
    • Kyleigh

      5 stars
      What would be portions for 4 servings instead of 10?

      Reply
      • Matt Ramsey