I found this recipe in the crock pot cookbook “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook” by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufman. So, I tried this recipe in the crock pot. When I was in the midst of it, I was thinking “WHY”? Why cook potatoes for 5 hours in the crockpot, when they only take 20 minutes on stop of the stove? It’s not like the crockpot did anything special to the potatoes, plus I still had to peel the potatoes, blend the soup, cook the bacon, chop the green onions and grate the cheese. Does cooking the potatoes for 5 hours in the crockpot make more sense than boiling them for 20 minutes? I don’t think so. I liked the soup though. LOVED the soup, so I revised it to make on top of the stove (didn’t take much revising…).
This soup starts with water! You don’t have to find 2 or 3 quarts of chicken stock to get started (which makes it economical, too). Just boil five pounds of potatoes (one small $1.99 bag) in water until done. Blend. Then serve with baked potato toppings of butter, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped green onions, and crumbled bacon. Soooo yummy. So easy!
Baked Potato Soup
5 pounds russet potatoes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. bacon, cooked crisply, and crumbled (OK, so I used a bit more than 1/2 lb.)
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2-3 cups grated cheddar and jack cheese blend (to taste)
Peel and dice the potatoes. Cover with cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are falling apart (cooked more than you would for mashed potatoes). Depending on the size of your potatoes, this could take 20-40 minutes. Turn the heat to low. Add in butter and half-and-half. Simmer until butter is melted, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in sour cream. With an immersion blender (the blender-on-a-stick thing), blend soup until creamy. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender. Be careful, and don’t fill up blender more than half full. Hot liquids tend to splash out when the blender is turned on). Return soup to stove and turn on heat to medium. Gradually blend in the grated cheese (to taste). Stir in the chopped bacon and sliced green onions. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot. (I actually prefer this soup the second day. I like to have the flavor of the green onions and bacon settle into the potatoes.)
Mmmm. Make this your first soup of the season. It was mine! I’m happy!
