Winter Warmers: Melanie's Potato Soup

I have a love affair with potatoes. And cheese. And anything that I can put in a crock pot and not have to deal with all day. This recipe is one I found a while back and have made multiple times over the years – it usually gets fixed at least once each winter. Actually, I might have to make it this weekend…

You will need:

• about 4 lbs of potatoes (I prefer golden potatoes, but russets also work well)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 to 1.5 cups)
• 5 ¼ cups chicken broth (42 oz)
• about 1 tbsp garlic
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 1 cup whipping cream or half and half
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 8 oz (1 container) of sour cream (optional)
• about ¼ cup cooked and crumbled bacon or bacon bits (optional)
• Extra shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
  

Directions:
1. Combine potatoes, onion, chicken broth, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper in a 5 qt slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
3. Mash potato mixture until coarsly chopped and soup is thickened.
4. Stir in cream, cheese, and chives.
5. Serve and topped (as desired) with sour cream, bacon, and cheese.

And that’s it – super simple, and doesn’t really need much attention at all! You don’t really need any sides to go with it (it’s pretty much a full meal in and of itself), but if you want, serve with roasted veggies like carrots and squash (asparagus and beets are also favorites of mine) or a salad with a flavorful lettuce, like arugula, with tomatoes and crunchy croutons.

– Melanie AAR