** This is my Official Disclaimer - I said a Healthier version - NOT a Healthy Version **
Now that is out of way, let's fry up some Bacon!!
My in-laws gifted us with a huge box of potatoes this winter. They have been kept in the garage and they are fantastic potatoes. Some of them are like 7 inches long! That makes for a mighty big baked potato. However, my husband happens to hate everything about potatoes. He thinks they taste like dirt - he is wrong - they are delicious! But we don't have them all that often because of that.
But we had my parents over the other night and I was craving potato soup. So I whipped some up.
This recipe is a little different because it gets the creaminess from evaporated milk and cooking in the crock-pot. Not from a whole bunch of heavy cream that is added. The flavor is great and you don't Need to add all the extras and the goodies if you don't want to.
Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
Yield: About 6 servings
Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 medium potatoes, 8 - 9 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup)
3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To Make the Roux
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Optional Toppings
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
9 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
4 green onions, diced
Directions
To a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours (poke potatoes with a fork to check make sure they're soft).
Ladle out 2 cups liquid from soup mixture in crock pot into a liquid measuring cup, set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups liquid in measuring cup into butter mixture (it will thicken quickly). Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend.
If desired, mash potatoes with a potato masher to break down into smaller pieces or use an emulsion blender to puree. Cover and cook on HIGH heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Turn heat off (or to warm), stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions (you can just mix in those three remaining ingredients into slow cooker or top individual servings).
