Baked Potato Soup

For more awesome crock pot and soup recipes hop on over to BooMama's Souptacular Crockpotalooza!

Okay, here's mine! **Originally posted in March 2008, so much better on a cold Fall Day!***

Potato Soup is such a comfort food for me. My mom used to make it all the time when I was growing up. She makes it from memory, though and does not have a recipe for me to post.

So, I made this one from my Southern Living Slow-Cooker Cookbook and it is yummy! I dare say, almost as good as moms. My family LOVES this soup.

Here is the recipe: See more photos below!

"Baked" Potato Soup

• 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. (about 3 3/4 pounds)
• large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 (14 oz.) cans of chicken broth with roasted garlic (I used plain and added fresh garlic)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
• 1 cup (4 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 T. chopped fresh chives
• 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream (optional)
• 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled or use bacon bits
• Shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or on Low 8 hours or until potato is tender.

Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened: stir in cream, cheese, and chives.

Top with sour cream, if desired, and sprinkle with bacon and cheddar cheese before serving. Makes 12 cups.

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I also adapted this recipe for my Saladmaster customers

First of all, the recipe says to peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.

Can you say time consuming? And also there are tons of vitamins in the peeling. So, I scrubbed the potatoes and got any yucky parts or eyes off. I just cut them up on my food processor and rinsed them before cooking.

Then, I used my Saladmaster Food processor to cut them up.

Here is less than a minute later. That is 6 large russet potatoes cut on the #3 cone.
Now an onion. - 10 seconds later on the #2 cone. If you quarter the onion longways and hold meat side down on the cone, you should just be left with the peeling in your hand.

3 minutes later the first 6 ingredients are in the slow cooker and ready to go.

The recipe says to cook it in a traditional slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

In my Saladmaster it took me 2 hours: medium - click - low.

(If you want to use your regular 4 or 7 quart roaster on top of the stove, you can do that. You do not need a slow cooker to make this recipe in your Saladmaster)

And if I was not ready to take it off at the end of those 2 hours, then I could have just left it there on low until I was ready. It. is. a. beautiful. thing.

After it was finished, I added the half-and-half, the scallions and the shredded cheddar cheese.

My family loved it! I added bacon bits, sour cream and more cheddar cheese.

Nice crusty bread and a salad...dinner! (You know, you just can't take a picture that makes potato soup actually look good, but it was! I promise.)

Happy Cooking,