Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is a great one to use if you have lots of potatoes to get rid of. I've modified the original recipe to make it a bit heartier - if you're anything like me, sometimes a baked potato (even a loaded one) just doesn't fill me up. The original recipe didn't call for corn, but I like having my main veggie in the slow cooker with everything else, so I literally don't have to do anything else with the meal once it's cooked.

Aside from the potatoes, this doesn't require a lot of prep (unless you want to cook the bacon beforehand, but you can also wait until the meal is done before you do that). I like to peel and cut the potatoes the night before and soak them in water in the fridge overnight so they don't brown.

Ingredients

6 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2 -inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1 quart chicken broth - I usually just use a whole container

3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed) - I omit this (when do I ever have garlic cloves just lying around?)

1⁄4 cup butter

2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup cream or 1 cup half-and-half cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives - also omitted

1 cup sour cream (optional) - also omitted (I can't stand sour cream)

8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled

4 oz cheddar cheese

1 can of corn

1. Combine in slow cooker

Combine the first 7 ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.

2. Mix remaining ingredients

Mash mixture and stir well. Add bacon, corn, cheese, cream, and chives (if used). Top with sour cream (if used).

See? Super easy :)

[Original recipe found here]

Meal planning?

Got a ton of extra potatoes? Make chicken stew later in the week! I like to buy a huge bag of potatoes and use these two recipes to get rid of them all.

Got lots of bacon? Make a simplified carbonara with my alfredo recipe!