During my call for recipes, I got emails from Jennifer, Jenny, Jenny Y., Julie, and Charlotte asking if I had made a baked potato soup in the slow cooker. I had not. I did make a potato-leek soup last year, but that's not really the same thing. It's definitely healthier, though!
Panera bakery evidently has a very good baked potato soup, but I've never stepped foot into a Panera, so I hadn't had their soup as a reference. So I googled it, and found a copycat recipe on RecipeZaar and adapted it to fit our family.
We all really liked this soup---the kids ate a ton, and we have a bunch leftover. I made a big batch so we'd have leftovers in the freezer. I'd guess this serves 10.
The Ingredients.
--5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
--crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)
The Directions.
Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.
After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.
Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.
The Verdict.
When I first started hanging out on the internet, I was surprised at how much bacon talk there was. Everywhere I turned (clicked), it seemed there was somebody else going on and on and on some more about their love for bacon. Since I don't eat pork, I really didn't get it, and just figured it was a weird internet thing.
But yesterday I figured out the secret to really good turkey bacon. Fry it in a ton of butter. Now I think I might sort of get it. Although I'm not terribly pleased with how messy it is....
anyhow, this is a fantastic soup, and the bacon on top really seals the deal. My kids both ate a bowl when it was first finished around 4pm, and another later in the evening.
We're going to have BLT's with the leftover bacon for lunch. or maybe breakfast. I'm excited.
other great soups:
Jamaican Pumpkin
Thai Coconut
Corn Chowder
Harvest Stew
French Onion
66 comments:
Just found your blog while searching for a method to bake potatoes in the crockpot. So excited to find this! I plan to visit often and trying new recipes. I'm the only vegetarian in my family, so I appreciate recipes that are veg friendly but will satisfy the carnivores around here. Planning on trying the sweet potato chili real soon!
yum!
Here's a tip for cooking your bacon: do it in the oven! I put mine on a rack fitted into a cookie sheet, so the bacon is elevated. You don't even need to flip turkey bacon -- so easy! Set the oven at about 400 degrees and give it 15-20 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your bacon. I can't stand bacon splatters all over the stove, and the oven method makes clean-up a snap! :)
Hi, I've been a lurker on your site for a long time and tried many of your recipes which my family has loved, your indian butter chicken being the best! Anyway I wanted to ask you if you have tried to cook your turkey bacon in the oven. This is how I cook it and it turns out crispy and fabulous not to mention better for you than frying in butter and much less mess. I put it on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 7-10 mins (not sure of the time, you will smell it when it is done.) Hope this helps and thanks for the great recipes.
This is a great recipe and I'll be back to visit many times! We love to cook in the crockpot - just walking in the door after work and smelling dinner is wonderful! We also fry our turkey bacon in "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" and it turns out really crispy. Is there a substitute for the cream cheese to make the dish lighter in calories? Thanks!
I have done bacon in the oven before, and you're right, it's definitely a cleaner way to go! The butter made it taste so yummy though... ;-)
Cybil, you can definitely use lower-fat or fat-free cream cheese, and I'm imagine sour cream would provide similar creaminess.
xoxo steph
I'm definitely going to try this one! I think I will use 1/2 FF and 1/2 LF cream cheese and Hormel's bacon bits. I think I will serve LF or FF sour cream on the side (sort of like how we get our baked potato at a restaurant - everything is "on the side")
Thanks for the great idea - and thank you for being the "provider" of wonderful recipes.
Not sure if that are gluten free or not, but for something like this, you could use immitation bacon bits... (They are soy & kosher.)
Oh that sounds yummy! And I'll be using the bacon in the oven tip that someone suggested :-)
I'm not sure how I ended up on your blog but I'm so glad I found it!! Thanks for the wonderful recipes. I have your baked potato soup in my crock as we speak and can't wait to chow on it later! I love cooking with my crock too and love checking out your blog! Keep up the good work.
Holy cow - 2 packages of Cream Cheese? My thighs!
I use my stick blender to break up the potatoes. It makes this smooth and creamy -- but you could add in a can of Evaporated (not condensed) Skim Milk or two. Save your calories for the Bacon, and how about some Cheddar Cheese? You put that on a baked potato, right? Or maybe green chilis/jalapenos??
Yum I am going to be making this :) I usually don't make soups when it gets hot over the summer because I hate heating up the kitchen for a huge pot, but the crock-pot is the way to go, definitely.
I am also intolerant to pork. My tips? First, see if you can find beef bacon (yes, you read that right, BEEF bacon). It is much closer to pork bacon in taste and texture and is DELISH. If you must get turkey bacon, make it in the oven! Put it on a metal baking sheet and pop it under the broiler. It will get dark and crisp. It may get smokey too though, so watch out!
Hi Clara! I *adore* beef bacon, but there is only one store in town that carries it, and I wasn't at that one. ;-(
I'll give the turkey bacon in the oven a try again----I promise.
xoxo steph
Sounds really yummy and something my whole family would enjoy.
And I agree, bacon made in the oven is the best! It is less messy and also it keeps the slices straight, and cooked thoroughly, even the ends.
I've made this before - SUPER good and it freezes AWESOME. I had it frozen for a month or so, plopped it into the crockpot, added some water and thawed it and it was amazing (we did add freshly cooked bacon though).
Oh and we added white cheddar and more garlic than it calls for. We love garlic.
OK I'm definitely gonna make this. Looks like a good one!
This looks delicious! We pretty much only eat turkey bacon also. I've never tried frying it in butter. Good tip!
Wow, I love baked potato soup recipes. This one looks terrific. I cook my bacon in the microwave. Cut into pieces and sandwich between sheets of paper towels. Usually takes 3 or 4 minutes. I've never heard of beef bacon! But, I'll be investigating it! :-)
Thanks, Stephanie,
Shirley
If you can, try the brand name Godshalls for turkey bacon. It's the closest to real bacon and needs no butter/oil when you fry it. It's really, really good. Not sure where you live, so I don't know if you'll be able to find it but if you can, it's worth a try. Yum-O!
This is going to sound kind of weird, but I accidentally discovered my secret for delicious turkey bacon. Fry it in toasted sesame oil! It really adds to the smoky flavor. One day it was the only oil in my cabinet and I gave it a shot, it was soooo good! Plus, it's healthier than butter.
Sounds like a great recipe. I just found your blog while going through other peoples listing of blogs they follow. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my crock-pot and use it every chance I can. I have a ton of crock-pot cookbooks but never any feedback and it is nice to see what really is tasty or not. Thanks for keeping your blog up to date. Can't wait to try these!
How about a can of Cream of Celery or Chicken instead of the second package of cream cheese?
I love your blog I have been reading it for a while and LOVE LOVE LOVE all your great ideas. I have just given you a blog award on www.homemakinghoneys.com Thanks for having such an AWESOME BLOG!
Mmmm....we used to have a Bennigan's in our town and they had a baked potato soup TO DIE FOR. I'm noping this is the same. (Though, a part of me is hoping that it's NOT because I would gain a lot of weight if I knew how to duplicate that soup!)
Thanks!
Where do I find beef bacon? That sounds pretty good. I live in the bay area.
Hi Stephanie!
I am a new poster to your blog, but I have been watching your recipes for a long time...love what you do.
Love the look of this potato soup, gonna give it a whirl.
Also saw that you were trolling for recipes recently, and wanted to give you my fav chicken chili recipe...I had never tasted anything like this one, and it quickly became my favorite as it is so unlike all the others I have ever had. Give it a try, you will NOT be disappointed.
You can find it here:
http://halftimelessons.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-of-my-favorite-things.html
Loving your blog!!
Jay
I just stumbled across your blog and I'm having so much fun going through past recipes! I feel like I struck gold!! I cannot wait to start trying these out. I've had my crockpot for ages and have barely used it. That's about to change!!
Hi Jo Jo, thanks for the info about the site feed. I think I screwed with something. Hopefully in the next few hours it will be back to normal.
for beef bacon: we can only find it at Albertson's, and sometimes at Lunardi's. It's divine.
xox steph
i made this last night and it was delicious !!!
awesome! I am going to try this one. Thanks for posting it!
This sounds awesome! My friend sent me the link to your blog - it's definitely going on my own blog's list of blogs that I follow!
I have a couple recipes you might be interested in on my blog too - drop by some time!
Sounds great and we will definitely be trying this. I have heard that beef bacon is fantastic. I know our Whole Foods carries it. Just a thought.... Thanks for the fantastic recipes!
This sounds yummy! I grew up in Central Oregon - potatoe country! & love um!
I'd add some coconut milk - & you could use coconut oil for the turkey bacon as well (tho if you have a good source of free range butter, that'so yummy :)
I made black beans yest in my crock pot, & today used a 1/2 C to make a delish hummus! Had just attended a talk on brain health (details over at 'the Vale' :) & the darker beans pack more antioxidents! I'm a fan of coconut products to boost brain & general health as well . . .
I came down with a nasty cold and sore throat yesterday (can't believe I got one mid-June!) and this soup was very soothing. Made it last night (along with some strawberry Jell-O mixed with strawberries and mangoes) and my boyfriend and I have both enjoyed gobbling this up.
I didn't have a large enough crockpot, but I tried... and ended up having to use about 1 1/2 cups less of the chicken broth and it still spilled over a bit. It was delicious all the same!
I'm going to LOVE your blog. I try to use the crockpot at least twice a week. It's on my bookmarks. :)
Thanks for your inspiring blog! I have set up my crock pot in a make shift outdoor kitchen on the porch. It will be there all summer and I plan to use it lots to avoid heating up the kitchen. Yesterday, I cooked garden fresh squash and zucchini out there, using tips from your site. It turned out great. I blogged about it today. Thanks sooooo much!
Hello! Not sure if you received my email but I would love to feature you on my blog for my Words with a Blogger Wednesday. My readers love this weekly post because they get to learn about other blogs and I try to pick unique blogs to feature. If you are interested, please comment on my blog and let me know. Thanks!
I made this the other day and it was YUMMMMY!
I made this last week and it was soooo good! I have a photo of it on my blog from a few days ago...my blog is mcbangerter.blogspot.com
Thanks for the great recipe! The leftovers are just as good!!!
I made this soup this weekend and it was yummy. One thing, though, it is peppery! For those crockpotters who don't like food as spicy or peppery, I would cut back on one or both of the peppers. Great topped with cheddar cheese and chives though!
just found your blog and I love it. I use my crockpot alot and am always looking for new recipes. I am in Heaven.
Thanks
Enter for the Rachael Ray Big Orange Cookbook at
http://woman-with-a-purpose.blogspot.com/2009/06/enter-to-win.html
I buy the uncured turkey pepper bacon at whole foods and it's the best out there. It does not taste rubbery and it's very flavorful. Be careful, you will get hooked and it's expensive $4.99.
Stephanie, an extra-lazy way to make this soup is to use frozen, shredded hashbrowns. I hate to cut potatoes, so I tried the hashbrowns and it was delicious. The shreds become so tender that they dissolve in your mouth. Congratulations on your book, and keep-on-crockin'!
Hi Anon, that's a great idea! it's not lazy----just resourceful.
now I want hashbrowns. and an egg mcmuffin...
xoxo steph
I JUST finished eating a bowl of this soup. It has been in the crockpot all day. I put my soup in the blender when it was done because I like a smooth soup and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this soup using low fat cream cheese and my stick blender. I topped it with shredded cheddar and fried keilbasa. I didn't have bacon, but I had leftover keilbasa.
I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I ate this soup. My little ones (ages 4 and 3) loved the soup, my husband asked me to marry him all over again, and my MIL smacked her lips and asked for seconds.
AWESOME!
This looks great! Love your blog.
Quick question, how thick does this soup turn out? (I like a thick soup and I want to know if I need to make any modifications.)
Can't wait to try it.
Hi WI, I'd classify this as a pretty thick soup. Your spoon won't stand up in it, but there's definitely a thick texture, and it'd even thicker the next day.
xoxo steph
We love baked potatoes, the husband does not. What do you do when the husband is away?? Make baked potatoe soup! I use the O'Brian frozen hashbrown potatoes. They come with the red and green bell peppers, which means less work for mom. It's gonna be a busy day - coming home to ready and waiting soup is gonna be so nice!
We had this soup yesterday with BLT's. The flavor was fantastic. It was even a hit with my husband (who is very picky about his soups). I will definitely make this again.
In the end this turned out so delicious! It makes alot and I had plenty to freeze.
I did have a problem with the potatoes though. I dont know if it was because I didnt mash them and left them diced? The pieces were pretty small. So after 8 1/2 hours on HIGH, I finally put the cream cheese in, cooked for 30 more min and then took the stick blender to it.
I'll definitely make this again but probably mash the potatoes right away.
Oh and I used the bacon pieces that we get in the jar and use for salads. Instead of garlic cloves, I used a few tsp of the minced garlic that comes in a jar. Anything I could do to make an easy recipe even easier. :)
I'm just cant believe how much it makes!
Next week its Buffalo Wing Soup!
I just have to say THANK YOU! This is my favorite soup (the Zaar recipe, I mean - I've only been to a Panera for breakfast) and I've thought about cooking it in the crock pot but never actually tried. That's what I'll do next time, for sure.
If you make it again, try adding some corn (I throw frozen corn in with the cream cheese). And I like it best with homemade chicken stock - makes it even thicker.
This soup really looks yummy! My hubby makes a great potato soup, but yours looks just as yummy (don't tell him though)
I made this soup a few days ago. It is delicious!!! Everyone in my family enjoyed it. It makes a lot, so I froze the leftovers. So happy to have this in my freezer to have again. This is a recipe I will definitely make again.
Hi! Any suggestion for a smooth soup that can be served to someone who unfortunately has their mouth wired for a few weeks (due to an unfortunately accident)?
Thanks!
Stephanie, I gave this recipe a try today! It was great! It came out every bit as pretty and as tasty as yours... Thank you so much!
http://katatonicblues.blogspot.com/2009/08/whats-for-dinner.html
O'Charley's has a fantastic potatoe soup from what I hear to but like you I don't eat pork. Anyway we tried a recipe for it and it had LOTS and I mean LOTS of half and half or heavy whipping cream in it. This looks alot better! I'm going to wait until it's not 98 degrees outside and try making this! Can't wait for fall just because of this recipe!
I'm making a meal plan right now and this is going on it (cowboy beans, too.) Anyway--just wanted to comment to let you know your new avatar pic is totally cute! :)
I love baked potato soup, will have to try this! We only eat turkey bacon; I always do it in the microwave and it gets really crispy! Easy too, just throw away the paper towels. I flip them over about halfway through...for 3 pieces I put them on paper towel and cover with another. Let it go a/b 1 1/2 minutes per side, maybe a few seconds more if needed. Adjust for more pieces! I haven't tried it in the oven yet.
We used red pepper flakes. It turned out a little too spicy for us (but we're going back for seconds). I used the hand blender to make it smooth, but I think I might have liked it with bits of potato. Topped with bacon, green onions and cheddar cheese! :-)
Fabulous! Made it for a party last night, knock out delicious! Everyone loved.
Have you tried freezing this soup? I'm making it tomorrow, but it's just my hubby, 16 month old daughter and myself so I was thinking that we could freeze some of it for a later date. I've read that baked potato soup sometimes separates and doesn't reheat well but have never tried it! Let me know if you can.
Congrats on your book! Can't wait to get it!
Chicagoleelee, I haven't personally tried freezing this soup, because we don't end up with leftovers, but I wouldn't be timid to do so.
When reheating, do it slowly and on the stovetop, whisking every so often to remix the ingredients.
xoo steph
wow, so many people commenting on how to cook bacon... this baked potato soup is SO good! I just used bacon bits! It made TONS, and I took some leftovers to share at work. Everyone loved it! I am making again tomorrow night as our dinner before thanksgiving! :) I can't wait to eat it again! Ive tried numerous recipes on here, and I'm hoping to buy the book soon! THanks for sharing all of this with us! :)
We love the potato soup recipe-delicious and great to have dinner waiting when I get home from work. Spouse compares soup to clam chowder(when I leave it a little chunky.)
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