Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

I grew up in northern Minnesota. Ahh, the land of meatloaf for dinner once a week, hot dishes (or casseroles for non-Minnesotans) at every shin dig, & the spiciest condiment in your house was usually ketchup, or at least it was in my house. We ate pretty simply growing up-- lots of taco, spaghetti & tuna helper dinners. But we also ate lots of potatoes.

It might be obvious to everyone else, I'm starting to realize that when you're the meal planner of the household, you get to decide what you eat. Sure, you can't completely decide (um, if we could afford to eat sushi more than twice a year, I would so be there) but you can cater meals to your liking. Growing up, we ate potatoes a lot because my mom is boarder-line obsessed with them. Every time we had a "fancy" dinner, the baked potatoes would come out for sure. And if things were especially exciting, the "top the tater" would also make an appearance (basically sour cream with chives). Oh those were the days.

When I made this baked potato soup, I couldn't help but think of my mom. I just know that she'll love it. It's rich & creamy & salty & cheesy. It's perfectly paired with crumbled bacon & grated sharp cheddar. And what's best is that you stick everything in the crockpot & then forget about it all day long. It's the perfect meal for those super busy days when you know cooking is just not gonna happen. No matter if you're from Minnesota or Montana, this soup is a tasty comfort.

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
1/2 medium/large yellow onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock or broth
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions

Directions
Add potatoes, onion, garlic, salt, & chicken stock to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. Add the softened cream cheese & puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated. Top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Mama Loves Food