Why I love this recipe:
This is easily a kid favorite, and with varying degrees of effort, you can choose just how much work you put into it. Regardless of what you do, it is guaranteed to be delicious!
Ingredients:
4 - Large Russet Potatoes Diced
1 - Small Onion Chopped
4 Cups - Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp - Seasoned Salt
4 Tbsp - Butter
1/4 Cup - Flour
1/4 Cup - Sour Cream
1 1/2 Cup - Heavy Cream (Milk or Half & Half will also work in a pinch)
2 Cups - Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or similar)
10 - Slices of Bacon, Cooked & Crumbled
4 - Green Onions Diced
Directions:
1. Add potatoes, onion, chicken broth and seasoned salt to your slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for six hours or high for four hours (watch it about halfway through, some slow cookers cook faster than others).
3. When you have about 30-45 minutes of cooking time left, start your roux by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until fully combined.
5. Slowly add in the heavy cream and sour cream, whisking constantly with each addition.
6. When the mixture has reached a thick consistency, add it to your slow cooker, along with half the cheese and bacon.
7. Check your seasoning level and add more salt, if needed.
8. Let the ingredients cook together for another 20 minutes.
9. For a creamy texture - use a large spoon, emulsifier or blender to breakdown the pieces of potato (if you plan to use this step, no need to to dice your potatoes, a rough chop will do the trick).
9. Serve with remaining cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions for people to top how they choose.
Tips & Tricks:
Roux is a mixture of butter and flour used to thicken up sauces, or in this case, soup.
Don't have enough time to make the roux? Skip it and add sour cream until you reach your desired creamy consistency. Let it warm up and then serve.
Don't have enough time to make the bacon? Skip it. This recipe can be topped however you choose!
Bacon Tip: Cover a sheet pan with foil, add your bacon directly to the foil, and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes (or until fully cooked - some bacon cooks faster, and some slower). It will turn out crispy and perfect each time without all the mess because you simply throw the foil away without even messing with the grease or cleaning a pan! I usually do this while I am prepping the soup ingredients in the morning, then crumble the bacon and place it in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator until closer to dinner time. While I make the roux, I will turn on the oven to 350 F. They only need a few minutes to warm and crisp up again.