Loaded Baked Potato Soup Crock

Name: Loaded Baked Potato Soup Crock
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 7 h 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 9.6 lb russet potatoes; 11.2 cups chicken broth; 2.4 lb bacon; 2.4 lb cheddar cheese; 3.2 cups sour cream; 2 bunches green onions

Creamy potato soup with bacon and cheese toppings

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 420 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: easy

Potatoes, broth, bacon, cheese, and sour cream become thick, comforting soup in the slow cooker.

Why crews like it: It is inexpensive, familiar, and easy to keep hot for a delayed dinner.

680Cal

26gProtein

64gCarbs

36gFat

Ingredients

9.6 lb russet potatoes
11.2 cups chicken broth
2.4 lb bacon
2.4 lb cheddar cheese
3.2 cups sour cream
2 bunches green onions

Instructions

Morning start: Add peeled potato cubes, broth, onion, and seasonings to the slow cooker.
Cook covered: Cook on low for 7 hours until potatoes crush easily against the side with a spoon.
Cook bacon: Bake bacon on lined pans until crisp, then drain it well and crumble after cooling.
Mash potatoes: Mash about half the potatoes in the cooker; leave some chunks for baked-potato texture.
Make slurry: Whisk cornstarch with cold water until smooth so it will not form lumps in soup.
Thicken soup: Stir slurry into simmering soup and cook until it lightly coats a spoon.
Add dairy: Lower heat, then stir in sour cream and cheese gradually so the soup does not split.
Check heat: Warm soup back to 165°F while stirring the bottom to prevent scorching.
Hold safely: Keep the cooker on warm and confirm soup stays above 140°F during service.
Load bowls: Ladle soup and top with bacon, cheddar, green onions, and extra sour cream.
Hold for call interruptions: If tones drop mid-cook: turn off direct heat and cover Bacon — hold at 140°F in a warm cabinet or 200°F oven, never below 140°F for more than 30 minutes cumulative. Log hold time on the pan with a grease pencil. If tones drop after service, cover hot food and keep sides on low heat or ice as appropriate. On return, spot-check proteins at safe internal temp before reopening the line.
Pack down leftovers safely: Cool Bacon and hot components in a shallow baking dish within two hours — food left out too long isn't safe to eat. Label with date; reheat proteins to 165°F minimum before second shift. Store cold components separately so textures survive overnight.

Tonight's spread

Main: Loaded baked potato soup
Sides: crusty bread, green salad
Condiments: bacon, cheddar, chives
Set hot components closest to the crew; cold crunch and toppings at the far end of the line.
Keep a backup tray at 200°F for firefighters returning from a run.

Hall tips

Add dairy after potatoes are tender.
Use an immersion blender only for a smoother soup.
Serve toppings with separate spoons.

Substitutions

Use turkey bacon for bacon.
Use Greek yogurt for sour cream.

Meal prep

Make-ahead: cook bacon and chop potatoes 1 day ahead. Storage: refrigerate 3 days. Reheating: bring soup to 165°F while stirring.

Leftovers

Cool Bacon in shallow pans within two hours; label with date and reheat to 165°F before second shift.
Store cold sides separately — hot and cold stacked overnight ruins texture.
Use leftovers as a casserole sauce.

slow cooker
sheet pans
potato masher
ladle