Loaded Baked Potato Soup

We after patiently waiting I finally received my copy of America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Cookbook and I am ready to use it.  I love my crockpot and needed some fresh new ideas to use in it.  The Loaded Baked Potato Soup has lots of great ingredients, most of which I had readily available at home.  I love when that happens.

Well the potato part didn't go a planned, I don't use allot of potatoes at home, but I had a bag in the pantry for a few weeks.  Much to my surprise those potatoes were there maybe longer than I had thought, they looked like aliens with more bulging eyes than I can count.  So instead of the russet potatoes I used the red skinned ones I had planned on using for St Patrick's Day.  Minor bump.

Recipe


8 ounces bacon, chopped
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tea dried thyme
2 tbsp flour
4 cups chicken broth
3 pounds russet potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper
3 scallions, sliced thin


Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 5-7 minutes.  Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate.  Pour off all but 2 tbsp bacon fat left in skillet.


Add onion, garlic, and thyme to fat in skillet and cook over medium high heat until onion is softened and lightly browned.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in 1 cup of broth, scrapping up any browned bits, transfer to slow cooker.


Stir in remaining 3 cups of broth and potatoes into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.


Transfer 2 cups cooked potatoes to bowl and mash smooth with potato masher.  Stir cheddar into soup until evenly melted, them stir in mashed potatoes and cream.  Let soup sit until heated through, about 5 minutes.


Season soup with salt and pepper.  Serve with scallions, crisp bacon and additional cheddar.


The soup took a little longer to cook than the recipe called for, I don't know if it was the type of potatoes I used.  It was a tasty soup that really improved the longer it sat.  Reheated was actually the best!