This Slow Cooker Potato Soup is so fast to throw together thanks to frozen potatoes. A hearty, thick soup with incredible flavor and easy to make! A SHORTCUT POTATO SOUP RECIPE I love potato soup so much! It is one of my family’s favorite comfort foods. I have a Crock Pot Potato Soup recipe where I make it completely from scratch. It’s delicious but some days you just don’t feel like messing with all that, right? This recipe is my shortcut solution to potato soup. You still get fantastic flavor with a few convenience foods used to help you put a delicious meal on the table without too much effort! This is the second time I’ve made this soup. Delicious and super easy!!!– Judy FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Can this recipe be cut in half? Absolutely! It is easily cut in half. However, I tend to make this full batch so that I can have leftovers the next day. What if I don’t have heavy cream? You can use milk. Can I substitute the bacon? Cooking up the bacon probably takes the most time in this recipe. So, if you are wanting to make it even faster, feel free to use the store-bought bacon pieces (found in the salad dressing aisle of the grocery store.) They work perfectly fine in this. Why does the cream cheese need to be at room temperature? This helps them melt faster and smoothly. If it goes in cold, it will stay lumpy in the soup. Can I use shredded hash browns instead of cubed? Yes. It will just come out much more creamy and smooth without the chunks of potato in it like you get with the cubed. I don’t like cream of chicken soup, what can I use? You can just leave it out. The soup will be a littler thinner and you can add a bit more heavy cream to add more creaminess to the soup. I would also suggest perhaps you make my homemade slow cooker potato soup recipe instead. It doesn’t use any cream soups. Do I need to thaw the potatoes first? Nope! They go in frozen. How do I store leftovers? This soup will last in the refrigerator up to five days in a covered dish/airtight container and reheats easily on the stovetop or microwave. It can also be frozen but I caution this as sometimes creamy soups don’t always reheat well after being frozen. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) bacon – the bacon that cooks with the potato soup will soften; however, it does add a good bit of flavor. But, if you don’t like softened bacon, you do not need to add it while cooking, just use it as a topping. frozen hash brown cubes – I don’t know why people balk at using frozen vegetables. It’s one of the biggest complaints I receive on the website and I think it’s because a lot of people don’t know how they are processed. There is absolutely nothing added to frozen vegetables. They are frozen at the peak freshness. No preservatives or anything else is added because they are being frozen so you don’t need preservatives. If you look on the back of the packaging, you will see that potatoes are literally the only ingredient in the bag. They still have all the same nutrients as their fresh counterparts. onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt and seasoned salt – I am actually pretty conservative with the seasoning here. So I suggest after it has all cooked that you taste it and add more seasoning. Generally I like to add a bit more salt, pepper and garlic powder since that is our preference but I know that is all subjective to tastebuds so you add what you like. Or if you need to keep this low in sodium, you can use your favorite salt free seasoning blend. chicken broth – if you do need to cut the salt levels, try using a low or no sodium chicken broth. Or if you really want to go all out, try making a Homemade Chicken Broth. cream of chicken soup – again, this is another one you can get salt free or low sodium. Or you can try your hand at making your own Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup. cheddar cheese – a cheese blend works as well. I also like Colby Jack cheese for this. cream cheese – this adds flavor and additional creaminess. You can leave it out if you prefer but I really love it. Even my family members who don’t like cream cheese really love it in this because they just don’t know it’s in there – ha! heavy cream – don’t skip this – this really makes this so much richer and creamier. You could use milk if you must but really try to grab some heavy cream. green onions or chives – this is for serving. HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER POTATO SOUP (WITH FROZEN POTATOES): Cook the bacon. Drain excess grease on paper towels. Then crumble up bacon into pieces. Set aside. Pour the frozen hash brown cubes into the bottom of a 5-6 quart oval slow cooker.  Evenly season potatoes with seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and ¾ of the cooked and crumbled bacon (reserve the rest of the bacon for serving). Stir everything until well combined then cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. After cooking, use a fork to check the potatoes for doneness. They should be fork tender.  To the slow cooker, add 1 cup of shredded cheese (reserve the rest for topping), cubed cream cheese, heavy cream and stir. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for another 30-45 minutes or until all of the cheeses are melted. Stirring occasionally. At this point, taste for seasoning. Add additional salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste When ready, ladle into bowls and top with reserved crumbled bacon, remaining shredded cheese and sliced green onions or chives.  CRAVING MORE RECIPES? Crock Pot Potato Soup (with fresh potatoes) Crock Pot Leek and Potato Soup Crock Pot Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Soup Slow Cooker Hamburger Potato Soup Chicken Pot Pie Soup Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup No Knead Dutch Oven Bread Mashed Potato Soup Lasagna Soup Stuffed Pepper Soup Crock Pot Taco Soup Mississippi Pot Roast 25 Fall Soup Recipes Originally published: December 2022Updated and republished: January 2026 Print Slow Cooker Potato Soup (with frozen potatoes) This Slow Cooker Potato Soup is so fast to prepare thanks to frozen potatoes. A hearty, thick soup with incredible flavor and easy to make! Course Main CourseCuisine American Prep Time 20 minutes minutesCook Time 5 hours hoursTotal Time 5 hours hours 20 minutes minutes Servings 10 Calories 545kcal Author Brandie Skibinski Ingredients1 pound bacon (divided use)2 (2 pound) bags frozen hash brown cubes (they do not need to thaw first)1 teaspoon seasoned salt (optional)1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon black pepper48 ounce container chicken broth (6 cups)2 (10 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature and cut into cubes1 cup heavy creamsalt, to tastesliced green onions or chives (for topping) InstructionsCook 1 pound bacon. Drain excess grease on paper towels. Then crumble up bacon into pieces. Set aside. Pour 2 (2 pound) bags frozen hash brown cubes into the bottom of a 6 quart (or larger) oval slow cooker.  Season potatoes with 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (optional), 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Pour in 48 ounce container chicken broth, 2 (10 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup, ¾ of the cooked and crumbled bacon (reserve the rest of the bacon for serving). Stir everything until well combined then cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. After cooking, use a fork to check the potatoes for doneness. They should be fork tender.  To the slow cooker, add 1 cup of shredded cheese (reserve the rest for topping), 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature and cut into cubes, 1 cup heavy cream and stir.  Cover slow cooker and cook on high for another 30-45 minutes or until all of the cheeses are melted. Stirring occasionally. At this point, taste for seasoning. Add additional salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste When ready, ladle into bowls and top with reserved crumbled bacon, remaining shredded cheese and sliced green onions or chives.  Video Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. This recipe can easily be cut in half. NutritionCalories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 36g | Sodium: 1160mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g