Simple Homemade Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

Winter and Fall months my meals change a bit. It’s a lot less BBQ and whole lot more crockpot soups and meals! Having good soup recipes in my kitchen tool box, like this loaded cheesy potato soup, are incredibly important to how I cook this time of year.

As soon as the weather changes and we start getting cooler temps, I am ready to bust out the crockpot and get some yummy feel good meals on the table that my family loves!

Some of our other favorite crockpot meals are my loaded baked potato soup recipe and my crockpot shredded chicken taco recipe.

But my all time favorite meal to make during the Fall and Winter months is soups. They are an ultimate comfort food. They are my favorite because you can make them in the crockpot, make them on the stove, change them up using all kinds of veggies/meats/ pastas, serve them with some fresh homemade bread or a salad and you have a hot meal ready that satisfies everyone!

This very hearty yet loaded cheesy potato soup is so yummy and as my husband says will “stick to your ribs!” It definitely goes on the list of a family favorites around here!

I like meals that I can make way ahead of time. It seems that by dinner time I am just spent. So if I can have dinner made earlier in the day, then I am winning for that day! This soup is made on the stovetop, so it can be made right before serving, but I threw it in the crockpot after I cooked it and just kept it warm until dinner.

You can mix and match some topping choices.

This soup is delicious all on it’s own but we love to add some of our favorite toppings.

Freshly cooked crispy bacon bites is our favorite topping. We also like to add in some diced ham, additional shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream or some diced green onions.

With or without add ones this delicious soup is an easy recipe and a meal my whole family loves. It is naturally gluten free, using strictly the potatoes as your thickener. I love finding recipes like that!

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Ingredients:

• 4 TBSP butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 8 cups peeled and diced potatoes, you can use russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
• 32 oz chicken broth or chicken stock, I like to use my homemade chicken bone broth
• 2 cup whole milk, add more to reach the right soup consistency you are looking for.
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, you can use milk cheddar if that’s all your have.
• cooked ham, bacon bits, or green onions to garnish

How to make loaded cheesy potato soup.

1. Add butter, onions, and minced garlic to a large soup pot and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. I like to use my heavy bottomed Dutch oven.
2. Once your vegetables are soft, add in potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce down to medium heat. Cook until potatoes are soft. This took me about 15-20 minutes.
3. Using an immersion blender or a potato masher and blend the potatoes in the chicken broth until you reach a chunky mashed potato consistency. If you don’t like chunks then puree the whole way. We like to leave a little bit of chunks in our soup.
4. Add in the milk and stir until your soup comes back to a soup consistency, adding more milk as needed. I usually use only milk but if you had heavy cream on hand, doing half milk and half heavy cream would be really delicious!
5. Salt and pepper to taste and add in the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Give it a taste and add additional salt and black pepper if needed.
6. Serve hot with some bacon bits, cooked ham, or green onions sprinkled on top!
7. I like to make this soup up in the morning and then pop it in my crockpot or slow cooker to stay warm until dinner time. I have never made this recipe as a slow cooker version, so I can’t say how it will turn out, but I bet it would work!

Although we don’t typically have any leftovers, you can store the leftovers of this soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for about a week. Just simple throw it back in a pot and re-heat it when you are ready to serve it.

Serving up a hot bowl of soup to my family on a cold Winter evening is the perfect way to show love. Warming your family up from the inside out with a good hearty meal is something I want my family to always remember.

Now tell me, what is your favorite Winter/Fall meal you make? Warm comfort foods are a must in the colder months!