Make this rich and creamy Baked Potato Soup on the stove or in the crock-pot!
Everything you love about a fully loaded baked potato is tucked into this rich and creamy soup. There are fluffy bites of baked potato in every bite.
If you have ever thought that you didn’t like potato soup, this Baked Potato Soup just might change your mind.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. Bake the potatoes, let them cool, scoop them out, warm the milk, combine it all and bring to a very low simmer for about 10 minutes.
The most important thing to remember with creamy soups is to avoid boiling your soup. Just stir frequently and allow it to combine and warm slowly.
I found this recipe for Baked Potato Soup many years ago, before I ever started blogging and sharing recipes online. My family loved it from the first bite.
I’ve made this soup on frequent rotation every winter since then and I’ve very happily adapted it for the slow-cooker. Since then, I’ve made many other variations-like this Old Fashioned Potato Soup!-, but this version remains a classic.
To Bake The Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato with a fork and then place on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until fork tender. Cool completely.
- When the potatoes are cool, slice them in half and use a spoon to scoop out as much of the flesh as possible. Discard the skins and roughly mash the potatoes a few times, leaving plenty of large bite size chunks.
Bake Potato Soup – Stovetop Recipe
- In the bottom of a large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the flour and about 2 cups of milk. Whisk to combine and then slowly stir in the rest of the milk. Cook over medium heat, for about 5 – 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and turn the heat to low. Cook the soup without boiling at all, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and cook about 3 more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, cheese, chives and/or sour cream.
Baked Potato Soup – Slow Cooker Recipe
- (Depending on the size of your crock-pot, consider halving this recipe.) Bake the potatoes as directed above. Place the scooped out insides of the potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot and mash the potatoes a few times.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper, along with 1 cup of milk, until smooth. Pour over the potatoes. Add the remaining milk, stir, and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.
- Stirring and scraping the sides once or twice after it begins to thicken. Once the soup has thickened, stir in the sour cream and serve immediately or set the crockpot to WARM and keep hot until ready to serve.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, cheese, chives and/or sour cream.
Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:
First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.
My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?
For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.
Thanksgiving has become a breeze since I have mastered how to hold all of the side dishes using these medium-sized round slow cookers.
If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.
Baked Potato Soup {On the Stove or In the Crock-Pot}
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes: Yukon, red, or Russets
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour*
- 10 cups milk, adjust with more as needed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, adjust to taste
- 1½ cups sour cream
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- ¾ cup brown rice flour
Toppings
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup thinly sliced chives or green onions
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
To Bake The Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato with a fork and then place on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until fork tender. Cool completely.
- When the potatoes are cool, slice them in half and use a spoon to scoop out as much of the flesh as possible. Discard the skins and roughly mash the potatoes a few times, leaving plenty of large bite size chunks.
Stovetop Directions
- In the bottom of a large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the flour and about 2 cups of milk. Whisk to combine and then slowly stir in the rest of the milk. Cook over medium heat, for about 5 – 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and turn the heat to low. Cook the soup without boiling at all, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and cook about 3 more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, cheese, chives and/or sour cream. Enjoy!
Slow-Cooker Directions
- (Depending on the size of your crock-pot, consider halving this recipe.) Bake the potatoes as directed above. Place the scooped out insides of the potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot and mash the potatoes a few times.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper, along with 1 cup of milk, until smooth. Pour over the potatoes. Add the remaining milk, stir, and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.
- Stirring and scraping the sides once or twice after it begins to thicken. Once the soup has thickened, stir in the sour cream and serve immediately or set the crockpot to WARM and keep hot until ready to serve.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, cheese, chives and/or sour cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition
{originally published 11/27/12 – notes and photos updated 11/4/20}
Ashley says
This was delicious!! Thank you for the recipe! I'm a beginner and I have a feeling I'll be coming to your page again and again for more inspiration! 🙂
Chris says
From two of my favorite food bloggers, I know that this has to be great.
Erin Eckenrode says
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times were a disaster. It never thickened up and it just seems like 10 cups of milk is way too much. Maybe I’m doing something wrong because your website is one of my go to’s for recipes. The end result is a potato flavored milk.
Mary Younkin says
First, I am glad you enjoy the recipes here. I love creating and sharing them. So a couple of thoughts/questions (and please don’t think I am critiquing, just trying to figure out what went wrong.) Did you only use 10 cups total of milk? If you used 2 cups thickened with flour for your base and added 10 MORE cups that would make it too thin. Did you use enough potatoes? Did you mash the potatoes enough?