Description
Comfort meets convenience in this slow cooker loaded baked potato soup, bringing hearty Wisconsin flavors to your kitchen. Rich with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, and creamy potato goodness, you’ll savor each spoonful of this soul-warming classic.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) chicken broth
- 3 1/2 cups (340 grams) cheddar cheese
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 3 tablespoons fresh parsley)
Creamy and Topping Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups (320 milliliters) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch + cold water
- 10 cooked bacon slices, broken into pieces
- Green onions for serving
Instructions
- Combine root vegetables, aromatic alliums, savory liquid base, and seasonings in the slow cooker, creating a foundational flavor profile.
- Allow ingredients to simmer and meld at low temperature (6-8 hours) or high temperature (3-4 hours) until vegetables reach optimal tenderness.
- Gently break down potatoes using a manual masher, creating a rustic, slightly textured consistency.
- Prepare a quick thickening agent by whisking cornstarch with cold liquid until perfectly smooth, then incorporate into the simmering mixture.
- Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes to develop rich, concentrated flavors and achieve desired soup consistency.
- Introduce creamy dairy elements – sharp cheddar, tangy cultured cream, and protein-rich yogurt – stirring until fully integrated and luxuriously smooth.
- Plate the steaming soup, garnishing with crisp, rendered bacon bits and delicate green onion ribbons for a final flavor and textural enhancement.
Notes
- Customize thickness by adjusting cornstarch mixture for desired soup consistency.
- Swap chicken broth with vegetable broth to create a vegetarian version of the recipe.
- Use low-fat cheese and Greek yogurt for a healthier, lighter alternative without compromising flavor.
- Prepare bacon ahead of time and store separately to maintain crispiness when adding as a topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (on Low) or 3 hours (on High)
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 291 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg