Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Last year I often made loaded baked potato soup on the stove. I sauteed my carrots and celery, baked my potato's, melted butter, whisked in the cream, cream cheese, and so on - It tasted Fabulous - And it took FOREVER!


As my sons first year of soccer, with practices/games right before dinner time- coming home after and making dinner felt like slave work. I want to come home and eat, not stand another hour over a hot stove. I love cooking but not on soccer days!


I set out to find some worthy crock pot recipes that don't taste like they were made in the crock pot - I found one HERE, (Really great blog) But it still needed some tweaking and so I added my spin and came up with some fabulous options and flavors!

Crock Pot

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

(This is a big recipe - I used my 7 quart crock pot, if you don't have a large one I would half the recipe)

You can pick and choose your toppings and "Stir-ins"
Lots of options = Lots of Awesome Deliciousness!

Ingredients:

1 30oz. Bag of frozen, SHREDDED hash browns

3 14oz. Cans of chicken broth  OR  5 and 1/4 cups of water and 3 crumbled bullion cubes

1 Can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup Onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. Black pepper

1 pkg. Regular cream cheese - Fat free doesn't melt - Considering how much soup this makes one package of cream cheese really isn't that much per serving.

Possible Toppings:

Cooked, Crumbled Bacon

Chopped Green Onion

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Possible Stir-ins about 1 hour before serving:

1 tiny can of diced green chillies

Cooked, chopped ham

2 baked potatoes, skins removed and diced

1/4 to a 1/2 pound of cooked, drained, Italian or sage ground sausage

Directions:

All ingredients except the cream cheese go into the crock pot.  Stir, to combined all together evenly.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8. Cube up the cream cheese and throw in 1 hour before serving (don't forget about any "Stir-ins' you may want to add in as well). ***See Recommendation Below***When serving, top with your desired toppings.

*****I like a smooth potato soup, so I used my immersion stick blender, directly in the crock pot, and blended it for a few seconds before serving it up. If you don't have an immersion blender - no worries - the soup can be served as is and it is good. If you like potato chunks in your soup - I highly recommend adding the diced baked potato an hour before serving.******

ENJOY!