There’s nothing better than a big pot of homemade soup and a pan of freshly baked rolls for dinner! We’ve had some unseasonably cool days here in the Carolinas (mixed in with some unseasonably hot days, haha), and today was the perfect day for Cheesy Potato Soup. As a bonus, my 17-yr old is home for spring break, and his favorite dinner is soup. Any kind of soup.
We had some leftover ham in the freezer from discounted ham I bought after Thanksgiving, so I substituted diced ham for the ground beef the recipe calls for. Every single person in our family loves this soup! It’s not as rich as traditional potato soup, which makes it filling but not heavy.
I served the Cheesy Potato Soup with Crystal’s super easy Bread Machine Dinner Rolls, but feel free to throw in a different side. The soup also pairs well with a tossed salad or a fruit salad or, if you’re short on a time, just serve it with crackers!
This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.
1 Tablespoon instant (or rapid-rise) yeast (Sam’s Club – 2lbs for $6.88) — $0.08
Total: $1.90 (makes 20 rolls)
Grand Total for Dinner: $8.03
How to Make Easy Cheesy Potato Soup and Bread Machine Dinner Rolls:
1. Make the rolls in the bread machine, following the instructions here (or on the recipe card below).
2. While the dough cycle is running, prep all of the vegetables for the soup. Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Peel and cut the carrots into chunks. Peel and cube the potatoes.
3. Follow the instructions for making Cheesy Potato Soup (on the recipe card below). Since I substituted ham for the ground beef, I added a drizzle of olive oil while frying the vegetables (because I didn’t have fat in the pan from frying the ground beef).
5. Enjoy the finished Cheesy Potato Soup with the homemade rolls fresh out of the oven! We eat this soup as is, but you could get creative and add toppings such as chives, chopped green onions, sour cream, etc.
Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup with Bread Machine Rolls
There’s nothing better than a big pot of homemade soup and a pan of freshly baked rolls for dinner! This soup is not as rich as traditional potato soup, which makes it filling but not heavy. It also pairs well with a tossed salad or a fruit salad or, if you’re short on a time, just serve it with crackers!
1/2cupParmesan cheeseAldi — $2.99 for 16-oz — $0.37
Salt and pepper to tasteif needed (using ham adds extra salt, so I didn’t need any)
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls Ingredients:
1cupwarm milkAldi – $3.05 for 1 gallon — $0.19
1/2cupbuttersoftened (Aldi – $3.49 for 4 sticks) — $0.87
1/4cupsugarAldi – $2.86 for 9 1/2 cups — $0.08
2eggsAldi – $1.66 for 12 — $0.28
1teaspoonsalt
4cupsflourHarris Teeter – $1.97 for 19 cups — $0.40
1Tablespooninstantor rapid-rise yeast (Sam’s Club – 2lbs for $6.88) — $0.08
Instructions
Add dinner roll ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed. Run on dough cycle.
While the dough cycle is running, prep all of the vegetables for the soup. Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Peel and cut the carrots into chunks. Peel and cube the potatoes.
When the dough is complete, divide the dough into 20-24 equal portions and shape each into balls.
Place dough balls on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375º.
In a medium-sized pot, combine a drizzle of olive oil with the onion, carrot, and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables are softened.
Once the vegetables soften, add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, and broth, and bring to a rolling boil.
Reduce the soup’s heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
While the soup simmers, bake the risen rolls in preheated oven for 13-16 minutes, or until golden brown.
Combine milk and flour for the soup until smooth (this only takes a few seconds in my Vita-Mix). Gradually pour the mixture into the soup, stirring constantly.
Cook and stir until the soup is thickened and starting to boil.
Add cheeses and continue cooking until cheese is melted (another minute or so).
As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter.
Add salt and pepper to the soup to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Serve alongside warm rolls, fresh out of the oven!
Notes
We eat this soup as is, but you could get creative and add toppings such as chives, chopped green onions, sour cream, etc.
FAQs about Cheesy Potato Soup and Homemade Dinner Rolls:
Can you freeze cheesy potato soup?
I don’t recommend freezing this soup because the potatoes will probably become grainy when thawed and the dairy might separate.
Can you freeze bread machine dinner rolls?
These easy dinner rolls do freeze nicely for several months. Simply cool them completely and store them in an air-tight container or freezer bag.
What are some common toppings for cheesy potato soup?
We eat this soup as is, but you could get creative and add toppings such as chives, chopped green onions, sour cream, etc.
What will thicken my potato soup?
My recipe’s flour thickens the soup (mix with milk first to prevent clumps). If it needs further thickening, mix a bit more flour with a splash of milk and add.
How can I make this cheesy broccoli and potato soup?
Once the potatoes are nearly tender and before adding the milk, flour, and cheese, add chopped broccoli and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
How long does it take to make bread machine dinner rolls?
These rolls take about 2 hours: The dough cycle is usually 90 minutes, plus 10 minutes to roll, 15 minutes to rise, and 15 minutes to bake.
