Baked Potato Soup

I don't know why, but I've been on a potato kick. Blame it on butter stewed potatoes I've been making- drool. It used to be that I'd buy white potatoes once... a year. I've bought two bags in the past few months! EEK. This soup is so easy, yes, you make it in the crock pot. Some of you all know how I feel about crock pot meals. But this is so good, I'll make it more often. Not too often since it's not good for you.
When I'm making the bacon, I saute the onion, celery and potato at the same time. Then, everything can go in the fridge and be thrown in the crock pot in the morning. Not a lot of fuss, this is really easy.
If I use baby red potatoes, I just give them a good scrub and cube them, I don't peel them.

Give Peas A Chance Baked Potato Soup

1 tablespoon of bacon grease- use butter if you don't want to use the bacon grease

3-4 large baking potatoes- washed, peeled and cubed (depending on size of your crock pot and the potatoes)

3 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion chopped

2 stalks of celery diced

Chicken broth or stock, enough to cover potatoes- start with a quart, finish off with water if needed

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2-4 ounces cream cheese (optional)

1/3- 2/3 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish-

6-8 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled (reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease)

Chives

Sour cream

Shredded cheddar

1. Grab a crock pot or Instant Pot.
2. Saute the potatoes with some bacon grease, add onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until crisp tender and potatoes are slightly browned. 
3. Throw it all in the crock pot, add chicken broth to cover. Toss in some bay leaves. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Before serving, add a splash 1/3-2/3 cup of half and half depending on how big your crock pot is, and 2-4 ounces of cream cheese.
6. For a smoother soup, put half of the soup in a blender (or all of it if you want it all smooth). Add more stock or broth if needed. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chives and crumbled bacon.

*In the Instant Pot use the saute function on MORE for step #2. Add remaining ingredients, using the Slow Cooker function, on NORMAL set the timer for 8 hours. Finish steps five through seven.
* Instant Pot pressure cooker, use just enough stock or broth to cover the ingredients after using the saute function until step two. Then cook on HIGH PRESSURE, 10 minutes, 10 minute natural pressure release. Then continue with steps 5-7.

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