This Cheesy Velveeta Potato Soup is loaded with smokey flavor from bacon and it’s rich and creamy without being super heavy! It’s the ultimate comfort food and a cinch to make. It all comes together in one pot in about 30 minutes!
Soup is one of those amazing foods that just spell COMFORT and make you feel warm and cozy. It’s always helpful to have comforting, yet quick and easy soup recipes on hand! This easy vegetable beef soup and this 15 Bean Soup with Ham are both classic recipes that will never disappoint! Or this rigatoni meatball soup!?! ULTIMATE comfort in less than 30 minutes, as well!
This cheesy Velveeta Potato Soup recipe is loaded with smokey bacon flavor, creamy cheese ….and really…what’s more comforting that potatoes?!!! Load on your yummy toppings and treat it like a baked potato soup! Take a deep breath and relax….comfort is on the way!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Simple, comforting and easy to make!
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- Everything comes together in one pot– less dishes to wash! Yay!
- This soup is the perfect balance between being rich and creamy, without being overly heavy.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious cheesy Velveeta Potato Soup with Bacon:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Velveeta: Velveeta is the gold standard of processed cheese, but the store brand (or another brand) will work just fine.
Milk: You can use whole milk, 2%, 1% or even half and half! Since the potatoes have lots of starch to thicken the soup, I like to go light on the milk and use 2%. If you want the soup even lighter, replace the heavy cream with whole milk, 2%, 1% or half and half.
HOW TO MAKE VELVEETA POTATO SOUP : STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Cook bacon, drain and set aside. In the same pot, cook onions with the flour.
Step 2: Add chicken stock, milk and potatoes and cook until potatoes are fork tender.
Step 3: Stir in cream and Velveeta cheese. Cook on medium heat until Velveeta is completely melted.
Step 4: Top soup with reserved bacon, scallions and extra cheese, if you like!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- Try not to cut your potatoes TOOO small, as they will break down too quickly when the soup is cooking. 3/4″ to 1 inch pieces is the sweet spot 🙂
- If you find the soup is too thick, just add a splash of chicken stock or milk.
- Because different brands of chicken stock have different sodium levels, it’s important to taste the soup at the end. Season with more salt only if necessary.
- **IF** you want your soup extra creamy and have extra time, you can puree half of the soup in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender.
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: Store leftover cheesy potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I find any longer than that, the potatoes get slightly mushy.
- Reheating: You can reheat this soup either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of milk or chicken stock to thin it out a bit and heat until warmed through.
- Freezing: Although it’s fine to freeze this soup, I personally do not like the texture of the cooked potatoes once frozen. The flavors are still delish, though! To freeze, cool soup completely. Store in a zip top freezer bag for up to 6 weeks. To reheat, thaw soup on the counter/fridge overnight and follow reheating instructions above.
ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Milk: You can use whole milk, 2%, 1% or even half and half! Since the potatoes have lots of starch to thicken the soup, I like to go light on the milk and use 2%. If you want the soup even lighter, replace the heavy cream with whole milk, 2%, 1% or half and half. To make the soup even more creamy, use more heavy cream and whole milk.
Bacon: Turkey bacon is great if you want to lighten things up! Chopped ham steak pieces would be excellent in this soup as well!
Nutmeg: I LOVE adding a PINCH of nutmeg to creamy soups!! It gives them an extra little punch! Not more than about 1/8 tsp! Just a pinch!
Toppings: Top the soup with your reserved bacon plus scallions, chives, sour cream, extra cheese and lots of black pepper, if you like!
Extra Seasoning: A dash or Cajun seasoning, chili powder or smoked paprika is DELISH!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Usually I am always a no-peel gal, but for this soup, I like to peel my potatoes. You can do what you wish. This recipe isn’t fussy at all!
A nice, simple arugula salad, crusty french bread or garlic bread are all perfect pairings!
Yes, you can! However, you will have to cook the bacon separately and I really love cooking everything in one pot so the soup is infused with bacon flavor! To make this recipe in the crockpot:
1. Cook bacon pieces in a pan. Drain and set aside.
2. Add all remaining ingredients (minus the Velveeta) to the crockpot.
3. Cook 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high or until potatoes are tender.
4. Stir in Velveeta cheese and bacon. Cover and let cheese melt for another 10 minutes, then serve immediately.
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Cheesy Velveeta Potato Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb. bacon, chopped into small pieces about 8 slices
- 4 medium baking potatoes (about 2-3 lbs) peeled and diced into 3/4" to 1 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups onions, diced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups milk See Note 1
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb. Velveeta (or similar store brand) cheese, cut into small cubes
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: scallions, chives, shredded cheese, sour cream
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over LOW heat, add bacon pieces. Cook bacon pieces 7-10 minutes until crispy. Stir often to prevent burning. Drain bacon pieces on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease, if necessary. In the same pot with the bacon grease, over medium heat, add onions and sprinkle in flour. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until onions are soft.
- Add chicken stock, milk and potatoes. Season with sea salt. Cook 10-12 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir in heavy cream and Velveeta. Cook a few minutes more until cheese is completely melted into the soup. Taste, and season with salt if needed.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with reserved bacon and other desired toppings.
Stephanie says
This soup was so good and I can’t even believe it only took about a half hour! I’ll definitely be adding this to the weeknight rotation.
Kim says
Absolutely delicious. I loved it so much I ate 3 bowls!
MinShien says
So cheesy, creamy and delicious! ABsolute perfection!
Kate says
I love all the flavor in this soup from the Velveeta and bacon!
Eni says
Wonderful comfort food! Loved it!
Lori says
Can I substitute Velveeta in a pouch in a instead of Velveets in the block?
Casey Rooney says
Hmmmm…like from the mac and cheese packet? You COULD. I feel like that version is a little more salty than the block version so keep that in mind. Let us know how it turns out! XO ~ Casey
Mari says
Excellent soup. I added 1/2 cup buttermilk (made from powder) to give it a little tang.
Casey Rooney says
What a great idea! Glad you enjoyed it!
Chris Talburt says
Made bit at the restaurant i cook at. Customers loved it. Bragged about it so much my boss got mad i didnt save her none had me make it again the following weak. Great recipe. Thanks
Claudia Lamascolo says
Great flavors except this soup is so addicting you will have to make a double batch! DELICIOUS!
Kechi says
What a loaded bowl of deliciousness. YUM! I love those crispy bacon, cant wait to make this in this cold!
Tavo says
Very nice soup for these cold-weather days! definitely giving it a try!
Gwynn says
I’m loving the smoky flavor the bacon adds to this creamy soup. My family loved this recipe. Perfect comfort food!
Tara says
Such a fantastic soup! All those flavors sound incredible, especially with the contrast from the bacon. So good!