I made this after staring at holiday leftovers and wondering what to do with leftover ham. Apparently, soup was the adult answer.
This slow cooker soup is now one of my favorite crockpot dinner ideas when it’s cold, and motivation is running dangerously low.
Of all the leftover ham recipes I’ve tried, this one actually gets requested again. That feels suspiciously like success.
Loaded Ham and Potato Soup with Frozen Hashbrowns
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 28 ounces frozen diced hashbrown potatoes
- 2 cups cooked ham diced
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened and cut into cubes
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded, about 2 cups
- 2 tablespoons green onions chopped
- Cooked crumbled bacon optional for serving
- Sour cream optional for serving
- Extra shredded cheddar cheese optional for serving
- Extra chopped green onions optional for serving
Instructions
- Add the Soup Ingredients: Add the frozen hashbrowns, diced ham, onion, celery, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to the slow cooker. Stir until everything is evenly combined.28 ounces frozen diced hashbrown potatoes, 2 cups cooked ham, ½ cup yellow onion, 2 celery stalks, 4 cups chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Slow Cook Until Tender: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the potatoes and celery are tender. Keep the lid closed as much as possible so the slow cooker maintains an even temperature.
- Add the Cream Cheese: Add the softened cream cheese cubes and stir until the cheese melts into the broth and the soup becomes creamy. Cutting the cream cheese into small cubes helps it melt faster and more evenly.8 ounces cream cheese
- Melt in the Cheddar: Add the shredded sharp cheddar and stir until fully melted and evenly incorporated. Freshly shredded cheese will usually give you the smoothest texture.8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- Finish the Soup: Cover and continue cooking on LOW for another 30 minutes. Stir once or twice during this time, until the soup is hot, creamy, and slightly thickened.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with chopped green onions. For the full loaded-potato treatment, add crumbled bacon, sour cream, extra cheddar, and more green onions.2 tablespoons green onions, Cooked crumbled bacon, Sour cream, Extra shredded cheddar cheese, Extra chopped green onions
Loaded Ham and Potato Soup with Frozen Hashbrowns: The Moves That Make It Better
This soup is already easy, but there are still a few ways to make it easier, richer, and harder to mess up. Because the Crockpot should be doing most of the work here, not you.
Use Diced Hashbrowns, Not Shredded
Frozen diced hashbrowns hold their shape and give you actual potato chunks instead of disappearing into the broth. Shredded hashbrowns technically work, but the texture becomes much softer and thicker. I save those for breakfast and let the cubes handle soup duty.
Leftover Ham Is Usually Better
Holiday ham, spiral ham, or a thick ham steak all work beautifully here. Leftover ham tends to have more flavor than the little pre-diced packages, and using it means one less mysterious container taking up refrigerator space. If the ham has a sweet glaze, even better—it adds a little salty-sweet contrast.
Don’t Go Wild With the Salt
Ham, chicken broth, and cheddar are already bringing plenty of salt to the party. Start conservatively and taste the soup after the cheese goes in before adding more. You can always add salt; removing it requires witchcraft I do not possess.
Shred Your Own Cheddar When You Can
Bagged shredded cheese is convenient, and I absolutely use it when I’m feeling lazy. But cheese grated from a block melts smoother because it doesn’t have the anti-caking coating found on most pre-shredded cheese. Sharp cheddar is my favorite because it still tastes like something after meeting cream cheese.
Soften the Cream Cheese First
Cold cream cheese can take forever to blend into hot soup and sometimes leaves little white lumps floating around. Let it soften on the counter while the soup finishes cooking, then cut it into cubes. Tiny cubes melt faster and save you from aggressively chasing cream cheese with a spoon.
Want It Thicker? Mash a Few Potatoes
Before adding the cheeses, press a few potato chunks against the side of the Crockpot with a spoon and stir them back in. The starch thickens the soup naturally without reaching for flour or cornstarch. Usually five seconds of smashing is all it takes.
Chicken Stock Works Too
Chicken broth is perfectly fine, but chicken stock gives the soup a slightly richer flavor and body. Low-sodium broth or stock is especially useful if your ham is particularly salty. The ham should taste like ham, not like you accidentally dropped a salt shaker into dinner.
Swap the Onion Without Starting a Crisis
Yellow onion is the standard choice, but sweet onion works if you want something milder. In a real weeknight emergency, about 1 teaspoon of onion powder can stand in for fresh onion. Nobody needs to know you skipped the cutting board.
Bacon Is Optional, but It Understands the Assignment
The soup already has ham, so bacon is absolutely not necessary. Still, a little crispy bacon on top adds crunch and makes the whole “loaded” situation feel much more official. This is garnish logic, not nutritional logic.
Sour Cream Belongs on the Bowl, Not in the Crockpot
A spoonful of sour cream on top gives you that loaded baked potato flavor without making the whole batch overly tangy. Add it individually when serving so everyone can decide how far down the dairy rabbit hole they want to go. Some people show restraint. I’ve heard stories.
Give Leftovers a Splash of Broth
This soup thickens considerably in the refrigerator because the potatoes and cheese keep absorbing liquid. Reheat it gently with a small splash of chicken broth or milk until it loosens back up. Don’t panic when tomorrow’s soup looks suspiciously like mashed potatoes.
Store the Toppings Separately
Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days, but store green onions, bacon, and other toppings separately. That keeps everything from turning soft and sad overnight. Fresh toppings can rescue even the most aggressively reheated bowl.
Freezing Is Possible, but the Texture Can Change
Cream cheese and cheddar-based soups sometimes separate or become slightly grainy after freezing and reheating. If you do freeze it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly while stirring. It’ll still taste good; it just may not win a beauty contest.
