This is an easy frozen hashbrown potato soup recipe made on the stove. Made with frozen potatoes, cream cheese and cheddar cheese in the morning, this is based off our ever so popular Crockpot potato soup with frozen hash browns with a few adjustments.
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I have made this in a slow cooker for years but the other day I needed it done faster and figured out how long to cook it on my stove in a Dutch Oven. Even I was surprised at how creamy it turned out with frozen potatoes.
The other week I went to a potluck and wanted to bring some pure comfort food. I brought a batch of my popular Crockpot funeral potatoes and thought this would be a good combination too. It was a hit!! The frozen potatoes cook down and thicken it without cornstarch at all. Bacon is a must add in for us but optional of course, you could even add diced ham after the holidays.
Do you thaw frozen hash browns before making soup?
Absolutely not, whether you make this or our 5 Ingredient Hash Brown Casserole you add right out of the freezer/bag. I typically will buy several bags to keep in my fridge when I find any shape on sale because they’re so handy to have in the freezer. Name brand vs. Great Value from Walmart doesn’t seem to make much of a difference.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to add a whole bag of frozen hash browns. You can find these shredded or cubed but I think the larger chunks are better in this case to make it as thick as possible….but either will work. 😉
For the necessary liquid I prefer chicken broth over water because that adds a bit of salt and lots of flavor. Have more on hand when done to thin out if you think it is getting too thick for your preference. You could thin with milk at the end too but not for cooking purposes as that may curdle.
Believe it or not you are going to add dry Ranch dressing mix in here which provides a huge pop of flavor to the dish. Not the liquid you put on salads but the dry powder.
Use regular cream cheese, or you could use a dairy free variety but I wouldn’t use low fat as that can have a funky flavor and is a bit grainy.
How do you make potato soup creamy?
The easiest way ever is to just add a can of condensed cream of chicken soup into the mix, or homemade cream of mushroom soup is fine too if you think you would like that flavor better.
And for us bacon bits are a must, or makes a great leftover ham recipe too after the holidays
Can you add cheese?
You must!! As for the cheese it should be finely shredded and sharp cheddar cheese is our favorite but once again you could use any variety of your liking.
You could in fact leave out the dry Ranch mix if you didn’t have it on hand, just adds more flavor and a bit of a kick to potato soup recipes of all kinds. If you don’t want to use condensed soup follow our Hash Brown Casserole without Soup and thin it out as you wish.
Can you use shredded frozen hashbrowns instead of cubed?
Yes in this recipe and almost every other one I have made with this ingredient it doesn’t matter which you buy. Since it is cooked for quite a while both will break down to become smooth so choose whichever you prefer or is on sale.
Nothing doctored up on these photos, it was taken on one of the many nights we made and enjoyed this popular dish. Once the taters are cooked down and as tender as you’d like them to be it is basically done. Adding extras like bits of precooked meats are a bonus but of course optional.
How to Make with Fresh Potatoes
If you did want to make from fresh you could like we did with our loaded baked potato soup. I like dicing them but if you wanted it to cook much faster just use a cheese grater to shred russets instead. The only thing that would change would be the cook time, and not by much. For best results you’d want to shred on top of a few paper towels and press down to absorb the excess water or it will make your soup thinner.
Remember that shredded potatoes tend to oxidize and turn brown if left exposed to air for too long. So, it’s a good idea to work efficiently and keep them submerged in water until you’re ready to use them in your recipe.
Crockpot Method
In the slow cooker, add combine the frozen potatoes, chicken broth, ranch seasoning, cream cheese, and cream of chicken soup. Mix together. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 3 hours. LOW is by far better. Lift lid and stir in the bacon pieces and cheese. Cook on high for another 2 hours or low for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Pressure Cooker Method
If you wanted to make a version of this faster you could. We have made this we call Instant Pot potato cheese soup and it is fabulous.
Hashbrown Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pot or slow cooker
Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen hashbrowns, cubed/diced is better than shredded
- 16 oz chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Ranch dressing mix
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 can cream of chicken soup, 10 oz
- 1 c cheese, shredded cheddar
- 4 oz bacon bits
Instructions
- Set a large pot over low heat on the stove.
- Combine the frozen hashbrowns, chicken broth, ranch seasoning, and cream of chicken soup. Fold all ingredients together to coat. Cut and drop the cream cheese cubes on the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes stirring 3 times. Then lift lid and stir in the cooked and diced bacon pieces and cheese. Cook low for another 20 minutes or until warmed, potatoes are as tender as you would like.
- Prior to serving, stir the soup. Garnish with green onion, bacon pieces, and additional cheese as desired
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to save leftovers
If you have leftovers wait until it completely cools first. Then transfer into airtight containers and store in the fridge. It will thicken more as it sits so when you reheat you may want to mix in a bit more broth. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute stirring in the middle of that time.
