Crock Pot Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

It's fall time everyone ... yanno ... thought I would announce it just in case you didn't notice ... but that means that recipes shift! It is now not sooo blazing hot outside that turning on your stove makes your house become Hell itself. Aside from that, it means that it is soup time! Yes ... there is a preface to even this story ... so ... I am not so much a soup person ... I like it just fine when given it (you know ... no other options type thing) ... but never really been one to seek it out ... until today. I have joined a recipe exchange group (thank you so much Sarah for inviting me!) that some of the girls in my ward started (two reasons - maybe get out of the whole chicken and pasta thing that I always do ... and two - make more friends[Thanks girls! It was so much fun])! Super exciting ... I know.

Well, the theme for this month was fall soups. "Ok ... Ok ... if I have to" (internal monologue) ... so began my journey to find an amazing soup (you know when you first start in a group and what you do/say has to be quality ... yea ... that way they don't "forget" to invite you next time ... that was my mindset). First, I called my best friend (I really need to come up with a name for her on here so I stop just saying "my best friend" ... I mean ... I talk about her enough) ... she is an AMAZING chef ... seriously ... way better than me ... and she told me of this soup that she had just made ... holy crap it looks amazing ... heck ... I'm even going to link the recipe ... I was planning on doing this lasagna soup ... but then I realized that I hate tomatoes ... yup ... I said it ... I think they are yucky ... everything from ketchup to pizza sauce ... can't stand them ... so why would I make a soup that has a tomato base? Sorry Christen ... I couldn't bring myself to do it ... you'll have to make it for me to convince me otherwise. And then this lil beauty fell into my lap (original found here)... seriously ... I was on pinterest for maybe two minutes before I heard it calling to me (almost literally ... I'm so not joking) ... it was potato (which I love) ... it was easy (which I also love) ... therefore it was mine. As always I have made some changes that I really feel make it phenomenal ... maybe you will have to try it both ways and tell me yourself which way is better. Anyway ... here it is:

Crock Pot Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup:

funny about this picture ... I actually forgot to take a picture until I had already put the soup into the freezer ... so I hurried and took it out and put the garnish on it ... just to scrape the garnish out and dump it back into the tupper ware to go back in the freezer ... yup ... what I do for this blog

5 lb russet potatoes (peeled or not ... your choice ... I peel mine) diced
3 tbsp fresh garlic minced
1 whole onion chopped (best to use white or yellow ... I used white)
64 oz chicken broth/stock
16 oz cream chees
2 c. (1 pkg) cheddar cheese
4-8 slices of bacon (I used turkey bacon ... I only needed four...my feeble attempt to be healthy) ripped up
bacon, sour cream, chives, or shredded cheese (all for garnish)

Combine first 4 ingredients in crock pot (low = 8 hrs ... high = 5hrs). Once cooked use hand mixer to combine cream cheese and contents of crock pot. Stir in cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Garnish with sour cream, chives or even more cheese or bacon ... or even all four!!

Super simple right!!! seriously ... I was amazed at how well it tasted ... I mean ... this was the first soup I have ever made ... I think it worked ... one for the books ... perfect to the perfect fall day ... enjoy (I know you will)!