Slow Cooker Crack Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe – this soup should come with a warning label! It is SO good! LOADED with cheddar, bacon, and ranch!! Everyone went back for seconds! Frozen hash brown potatoes, cream of broccoli cheese soup, broccoli florets, cream cheese, chicken broth, cheddar cheese, bacon, and ranch seasoning. Effortless to make – simply dump everything into the slow cooker and let it do all the work.
Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
This Slow Cooker Crack Broccoli Cheese Soup is ridiculously delicious!! It combines two of my all-time favorite soups combined into one bowl – Crack Potato Soup & Broccoli Cheese Soup. There is SO much amazing flavor in one bowl. Frozen hash brown potatoes, cream cheese, broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon, and ranch. YUM! Effortless to make and the whole family gobbles it up! Whip up a pan of cornbread and you are set!
How to Make Crack Broccoli Cheese Soup
This soup is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Using a sharp knife, chop broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. Discard broccoli stems. Combine frozen shredded hash browns, chicken broth, broccoli florets, bacon, ranch dressing mix, and a can of broccoli cheese soup in a 6-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until the potatoes are soft. Stir in cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese. Cook a few more minutes until the cheese melts.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- This soup uses fresh broccoli. I chopped my broccoli really, really small because I don’t like chunks of broccoli. Feel free to chop the broccoli into bigger chunks if that is your preference.
- I haven’t tried this soup with frozen broccoli, but I think it would be fine. It would also be a time saver since you don’t have to chop it.
- I suggest using low-sodium or no-salt chicken broth.
- Can substitute vegetable broth.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix made with buttermilk powder, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
- If you are sensitive to ranch seasoning, adjust the amount to your personal taste.
- I find that Philadelphia brand cream cheese melts best in this recipe.
- If you have problems incorporating the cream cheese into the soup, use a whisk.
- We like the texture of the soup as is. If you want a smooth soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired texture.
- If pureeing the soup, you can decide if you want to add the bacon to the soup before or after blending.
- If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or some heavy cream.
- Can I make Broccoli Cheese Soup on the stove top? Yes! Combine frozen shredded hash browns, chicken broth, broccoli florets, bacon, ranch dressing mix, and a can of broccoli cheese soup in a Dutch Oven or large soup pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender and breaking down. Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir and cook until the cheese has melted.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
What to Serve with Potato & Broccoli Cheese Soup
This soup has been on repeat at our house. It is a million times better than Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup!! We like to top our bowls of soup with more bacon and cheese because you can never have too much bacon or cheese! Throw in some biscuits or cornbread and dinner is served!
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Slow Cooker Crack Broccoli Cheese Soup
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 (30 to 32-oz) bag frozen shredded hash browns
- 3 (14.5-oz) cans chicken broth
- 1 (10.5-oz) can broccoli cheese soup
- 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 1 (1-oz) package ranch salad dressing mix
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
Instructions:
- Combine hash browns, chicken broth, broccoli cheese soup, chopped broccoli, Ranch dressing mix, and bacon in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
- 15 minutes before serving, stir in cheddar cheese and cream cheese until melted.
Notes:
- This soup uses fresh broccoli. I chopped my broccoli really, really small because I don’t like chunks of broccoli. Feel free to chop the broccoli into bigger chunks if that is your preference.
- I haven’t tried this soup with frozen broccoli, but I think it would be fine. It would also be a time saver since you don’t have to chop it.
- I suggest using low-sodium or no-salt chicken broth.
- Can substitute vegetable broth.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix made with buttermilk powder, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
- If you are sensitive to ranch seasoning, adjust the amount to your personal taste.
- I find that Philadelphia brand cream cheese melts best in this recipe.
- If you have problems incorporating the cream cheese into the soup, use a whisk.
- We like the texture of the soup as is. If you want a smooth soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired texture.
- If pureeing the soup, you can decide if you want to add the bacon to the soup before or after blending.
- If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or some heavy cream.
- Can I make Broccoli Cheese Soup on the stove top? Yes! Combine frozen shredded hash browns, chicken broth, broccoli florets, bacon, ranch dressing mix, and a can of broccoli cheese soup in a Dutch Oven or large soup pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender and breaking down. Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir and cook until the cheese has melted.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Steph
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This recipe sounds amazing! Due to a gluten allergy, we cannot use a a can of brocoli cheese soup. Can this be omitted at all or substituted with anything else?
you can use a can of gluten-free cream of chicken or GF cream of mushroom from Walmart
Can this soup be frozen & reheated later?
sure
I have this in the crock pot now. Planning on serving it in bread bowls for dinner. 😋
Sounds delicious!
Store was sold out of hash Browns so I’m a try tater tots let’s see how it Turns out!!!! Also sold out of broccoli chedder soup Is substituting it with broccoli cheddar potato bacon soup
Can I make this with dehydrated hash browns? The ones what come in a carton and you have to soak for 12 mins or so…
I’ve never tried that, but sounds like it would work.
Question, do you use frozen broccoli or fresh from the produce department?
I used fresh, but frozen is fine too.
has anyone ever made this in an instant pot.
Hi! I just made this in my pressure cooker and it’s really easy and so good. I just threw everything in except the bacon. Added 2 copped carrots, a little pepper & kosher salt. I did 6 C total chicken broth and did soup/stew setting for 17 min. At the end I added 1 C milk with 1 Tbsp corn starch mixed in to thicken it a bit. We all had seconds!!
I find I can trust perfection when I try anything from Plain Chicken & this no exception. Ohhhh myyyy! This soup is amazing!!!! I did cook in crock pot on high for4 hours & worked great. I added a little onion powder & gotta have bread to dip in soup.
SO glad you enjoyed it, Kathy!
Turned out awesome!!! Made it with deer garlic sausage and on the stove top in an hour (with a quick purée before adding sausage). Tastes so delicious and hearty! Even my husband who hates soup for dinner loved it.
Am I supposed to cook the bacon first?
Can you use diced potatoes instead of shredded?
I haven’t tried this with diced. They might not make the soup as creamy.
I have made this soup several times on the stovetop and I’ve always used fresh russet potatoes (about 6 medium). I chop them up in 1/2 to 1 inch pieces and cook them in the broth and ranch mix until they’re just tender, then I mash them a little with my potato masher in the pot, and then add the broccoli. Simmer until the broccoli is tender and then add the rest of the ingredients. It works great.
I’ve used fresh diced potatoes and the only change was I had to increase the time to 5 hours on high. In the last hour I scooped out about 1/3-1/2 of the potatoes and smashed them with 1/4 cup of heavy milk. Then I added it back. Perfection..I also added carrots, bacon, celery and cooked onions(in bacon grease) at the very beginning. Added Stilton cheese at the end. Amazing soup recipe.
Can you make this on high for 4 hours?
I haven't tried this on high, but typically that conversion works.
I made this the other day for my family. Everyone loved it even my picky eater enjoyed it. It was even better the 2nd day.
A must when I have my next get to gather.