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When my husband and I got married 19 years ago, we got two slow cookers. One came in a carrying case. The other was stainless and could double as a deep fryer. I kept both. I didn’t use either one for many years.

A few years ago, I got out the stainless one and used it a few times to make cheese dip. Once I tried making a pasta dish that turned out so horribly we ate frozen pizza. Then four years ago, I came across a recipe for potato soup and decided to give it a try. It was a hit with my family and quickly became my daughter’s favorite thing I make. 

Last fall, we moved and since we had to put all of our belongings in storage for six months, I decided to get rid of my stainless slow cooker. It was OK, but it was hot to touch on the outside, didn’t have a removable bowl and was hard to clean. I knew I had the other one in the attic that had a carrying case, so I wasn’t worried. 

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I decided to get out the slow cooker that had been moved into the cabinets of my new kitchen. I was going to make nacho grande soup (another favorite) and make sure it worked well. I had also signed up to take potato soup into a carry-in at church later in the month. I opened the box (for the first time in 19 years, mind you!). I pulled it out and found that it was a slow cooker, but it was quite small. Ack! It fit my nacho grande soup, but I knew it wouldn’t be big enough for the potato soup.

So I went on a mission to find a new slow cooker. I didn’t want to spend a huge amount of money because I don’t use my slow cooker a huge amount. I just knew I wanted the interior bowl to be removable for easier cleaning, have a strap for easy travel and maybe be red to match my beloved stand mixer. I opted for a 6-quart oval Crock Pot brand slow cooker.

This past weekend, I did indeed use it to make potato soup for the church carry-in and found that this one would actually fit a double-batch of this soup. While a double-batch would be way too much for my family of four (we have some leftovers with a single-batch), doubling up would be easy enough for large gatherings.

I’m loving my new slow cooker. And I love this potato soup recipe. It really is my favorite of all-time. It is simple, it is easy and it is so yummy. Its ingredients are easy on the pocketbook and without using heavy cream, it’s relatively low-fat as well. It’s ideal for busy nights this fall!

It starts with frozen hash browns — and that means no peeling potatoes for hours on end. Open the bag, and dump them in! I usually get the southern style, which are little square cubes.

Next, you add in 28 ounces of chicken broth, which you can get in two 14-ounce cans or measure out 3-1/2 cups from a box of chicken broth. I usually use low sodium, but I’ve also used regular chicken broth. It tastes fine both ways. Along with the chicken broth, add in a can of cream of potato soup. If your grocery store is out of it, you can substitute cream of chicken soup with no issue. Top it off with some black pepper and stir.

Cook it on low for five hours. At around hour four, soften the cream cheese. I usually get it to the point of being almost creamy. Stir it into the soup and continue to cook on low for another 45 minutes to an hour. Serve it up topped with shredded cheese and bacon bits. We love to have a total carb fest and eat it with french bread!I’ve served six adults and two small children with this recipe before. If you need much more, I do think it would double well with a large enough slow cooker. If you do have leftovers, just store them in the fridge. This soup reheats incredibly well. My daughter always wants to have leftovers so she can take it for her lunch. My mom has frozen it before with good luck, but I’ve never had enough left that my daughter would let me think of doing that!