A hearty bowl of Slow Cooker Ham and Cheese Soup is the perfect way to warm up! Put it in the crockpot in the morning on a busy weekday for an easy dinner.
There is something about the cold weather that makes me crave a bowl of warm, hearty soup! It’s probably because I’m looking for a way to warm up.
This ham and cheese soup is a family favorite and is one of the most delicious ways to use leftover ham. I make it a simple meal and serve it with dinner rolls and a salad.
How To Make Slow Cooker Ham and Cheese Soup
Step One: Potatoes
Start by peeling and cutting the potatoes. To get four cups of cubed potatoes, I used four large russet potatoes.
One of my favorite shortcuts is to buy cubed potatoes from the refrigerator section of the grocery store, but they were completely sold out when I went grocery shopping.
Step Two: Ham
Next, cut up the ham. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any leftover ham to make ham and cheese soup this time so I bought a piece of cooked, sliced ham from the grocery store. It ended up working really well in this recipe.
If you are using leftover ham, your pieces won’t really be cubed but it doesn’t matter. You just need them to be bite-sized.
Step Three: Cook
Put the ham and potatoes in the slow cooker (don’t forget the crockpot liner for easy cleanup) and cook on high for 3-4 hours, low for 6-8 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step Four: Cheese
For the cheese in this recipe, I like to use Velveeta because it melts the best and is the easiest method.
It doesn’t work very well to add cheddar cheese directly into the crockpot like you can with the Velveeta. It wants to clump together instead of melting.
How To Use Cheddar Cheese Instead of Velveeta:
If you want to use cheddar cheese, here is how you can do it. Reduce the water in the slow cooker to four cups. When the potatoes are cooked, shred 4 cups of cheddar cheese. (I suggest shredding the cheese yourself because it will melt better).
Heat 2 cups of milk in a saucepan until it just starts to bubble. Slowly add the cheese about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking until smooth. Once all of the shredded cheddar cheese has been added, stir the cheese sauce into the ham and cheese soup in the slow cooker.
Step Five: Combine
Put the cheese in the crockpot and stir until melted.
Step Six: Instant Potatoes
My mom taught me a great hack for thickening soup: instant mashed potatoes! If you want your ham and cheese soup to be thicker, stir in a little bit of instant mashed potato flakes at a time, stirring until fully incorporated.
Just don’t add too much of the instant potatoes or your soup will become more like a casserole!
Pour the soup into bowls, grab a couple of dinner rolls and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
1. Would it work to add more veggies to this soup? Definitely! Try adding corn, broccoli, and cauliflower.
2. Can you freeze leftover ham and cheese soup? Yes. Once the soup has cooled put it into an airtight container and store in the freezer.
3. How can I make ham and cheese soup on the stovetop? Instead of putting the potatoes, ham, and water in a slow cooker, put them in a large stockpot. Boil until the potatoes are tender. Turn down the heat and stir in the Velveeta.
More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
Slow Cooker Ham and Cheese Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cup cubed ham
- 4 cups cubed potatoes
- 6 cups water
- 16 oz Velveeta cubed
- 1/4 cup instant potato flakes optional
Instructions
- Put the ham, potatoes, and water in a slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the lid and add the Velveeta. Stir until all of the cheese has melted.
- To thicken the soup, stir in a little bit of instant potato flakes at a time, mixing until combined. If you add too much, your soup will turn into a casserole so go slow!
Kelsi says
Can I use diced hash browns as the potatoes?
Tonia Larson says
Hi Kelsi,
Yes you can use diced hash brown potatoes. That’s what my mom often uses!
Warmly,
Tonia