Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I loooove soup.... pretty much all soup. But, inexpensive & easy to make soup I REALLY LOVE!

Loaded baked potato soup is one of my favorites and I found this recipe on Pinterest from the Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour blog. It is a slow cooker meal, woohoo and it is ridiculously easy and good.

Here are the stars of the show....

It seriously doesn't get easier than this... ready... Add the 3 cans of chicken broth and 1 can of cream of chicken soup into the crock pot and stir until mixed thoroughly. Next add the bag of hash browns and stir. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3.

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 30 mins to an hour before adding and let it get to room temperature. 

Add half of the cheese and bacon bits, and all of the cubed cream cheese, stir.

 Turn the temp to high and continue cooking another hour, or until cream cheese is melted. If your cream cheese is clumpy after an hour, you may have to assist it by mushing it with a spoon.

Top with cheese, bacon & sour cream! Enjoy!

Some foods are just made to sit over night in the fridge to gain perfection and I must say this is SO MUCH better the day after! I will be making this ahead from now on. It is sooo good the next day, restaurant quality good =)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns (Think I will try the cubed kind next time)
• 3 14oz. cans of chicken broth
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 pkg. shredded cheddar (I used medium)
• 1 pkg. Real Bacon Bits (or real bacon chopped, I used Hormel Real Crumbled bits) 
• 1 pkg. cream cheese, cubed (the full of fat kind, melts better) 

 Toppings (Optional but necessary in my world)

• Sour Cream (if your lucky enough to have a Kroger owned store nearby, their sour cream w/ chives built in is so yummy!)
• Remainder of the shredded cheddar
• Remainder of the bacon bits
• Dash of pepper
• Whatever else you love to put in a loaded baked potato!
  

Cooking Instructions

1. Add the 3 cans of chicken broth and 1 can of cream of chicken soup into the crock pot and stir until mixed thoroughly. Next add the bag of hash browns and stir. 
2. Cook in your slow-cooker (crock-pot) on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
3. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 30 mins to an hour before adding and let it get to room temperature. Add half of the cheese and bacon bits, and all of the cubed cream cheese, stir.
4. Add half of the cheese and bacon bits, and all of the cubed cream cheese, stir.
5. Turn the temp to high and continue cooking another hour, or until cream cheese is melted. (If your cream cheese is clumpy after an hour, you may have to assist it by mushing it with a spoon.)
6. Top with cheese, bacon & sour cream! Enjoy! 

*Tip: Some foods are just made to sit over night in the fridge to gain perfection and I must say this is SO MUCH better the day after! I will be making this ahead from now on. It is sooo good the next day, restaurant quality good =)