recipe Monday ~ comfort food

It's Recipe Monday again over at Colleen's blog. If you'd like to see what she posted, hop on over and also see who else linked today.

Friday I made one of our very favorite soups, in fact it tastes just like a twice-baked potato. You can reduce the fat in this soup by using fat-free half and half along with reduced fat cheese and sour cream.

"Baked" Potato Soup

6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes ( about 3 & 3/4 lbs.)

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth

2-3 crushed garlic cloves

1/4 cup butter

2 & 1/2 tsp salt

1 & 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 cup half and half

1 cup (4 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

3 TBS. chopped fresh chives

1 (8oz.) container sour cream (optional)

4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Shredded Cheddar cheese

• Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or on LOW 8 hours or until potato is tender.
• Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened; stir in cream, cheese, and chives. Top with sour cream, if desired, and sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese before serving. Makes 12 cups. Enjoy!