Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Country Ham
Crockpot baked potato soup loaded with diced Nelson Brand country ham, sharp cheddar, sour cream, and bacon — set it in the morning, eat it after work.
This is the soup that sells me on a slow cooker every winter. Six hours of unattended cooking turns a fistful of pantry staples into something that tastes like a baked potato bar in a bowl. The country ham is doing quiet work in the background — its salt and smoke season the broth so the cream and potatoes have something to bounce off of.
Don't be tempted to add the dairy at the start. Sour cream and milk break under long heat and you'll end up with a curdled mess. The 30-minute finish is what keeps everything silky.
If you're cooking for a crowd, double the recipe and serve it with crusty bread and a sharp green salad. We've taken big jars of this to potlucks in winter and it's always the dish that comes home empty. Leftovers freeze beautifully — thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly so the dairy doesn't split.
Country ham makes this soup. If yours is running low, we ship Nelson Brand country ham direct from Nebraska year round.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cupsNelson Brand country ham, cubed
- 5red potatoes, diced (skinned or partly skinned)
- 1 1/2 cupscheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 canscream of mushroom soup (cream of potato works too)
- 2 tbspbacon bits
- 1 cupsour cream
- 1 1/2 cupsmilk (more or less, to your preferred thickness)
- 1 tbspfresh chives, for topping
Instructions
Add diced potatoes, cubed ham, cream of mushroom soup, and bacon bits to the crockpot. Stir to combine — the soup base coats every potato so they cook evenly.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Longer and slower is always better if your day allows it.
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the milk, shredded cheddar, and sour cream.
Cover and let everything melt together for the final 30 minutes. Stir gently — you want creamy, not mashed.
Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chives. Salt to taste at the table; the ham brings most of what you need.
Get the country ham.
Every Nelson Brand recipe starts with our hand-selected, dry-cured country ham — shipped direct from Fairfield, Nebraska.
Shop country ham →