Red Potato Soup (aka I used the crock pot!)

Looking for recipes on the Internet can be overwhelming. And I have noticed that I tend to default to the recipes with the fewest number of ingredients. I reject outright any recipes that list out 15 different herbs and spices...even if I have all of them on hand! I really wish recipes would triage their ingredients a bit better and tell you which ones are absolutely essential and which ones you really don't need. Maybe I'll start a trend...

Over the holidays, one of my youth parents told me that she once cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner using only crock pot recipes. I found that inspiring, because the crock pot has always seemed a little bit daunting (even though every working person alive assures me it's the easiest way to cook!) So, since we still don't have an oven, I thought I'd give it a go. And since we had a bunch of red potatoes leftover from last week, I decided to make potato soup. I searched until I found a recipe written at a beginner level, with a short ingredient list and pictures.

I have to report that "everyone else" was right. Using the crock pot was extremely easy...and that's coming from someone who once burned a frozen dinner! Jordan took a bite, and made a face that I'd never seen before. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"This is the best thing you've ever cooked!" he said.

I know that might not be saying much...or maybe it's saying a WHOLE LOT!!

Crock Pot Red Potato Soup

(adapted from The Country Cook)

Time: 20 minutes in the morning, 8 hours in the crock pot, 20 minutes in the evening
Servings: 4

You definitely need these ingredients:

• red potatoes (approx. 2 pounds)
• 1 can of chicken broth
• 1 cup of half & half

Optional add-ins:

• sliced green onions (approx. 2 stalks for the soup itself, and some extra for garnish. The original recipe calls for 1/4 a regular onion in the soup instead.)
• salt & pepper
• Any other neutral vegetables that you have lying around (i.e. mushrooms, celery)
• Garnish: bacon bits, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc. 

In the morning:

Wash and skin the red potatoes...but don't be too militant about it. The skins add texture, flavor, and nutrients, so leave some on. Cut the potatoes into small cubes, and place in crock pot. Add chicken broth, green onions, and salt and pepper. If you want to add any other vegetables, you can do that too (I added a few chopped mushrooms). Cook on low for 8 hours. 

In the evening:

Don't freak out when you look at your mixture and it doesn't look like soup yet. It will! Mash it up to your desired level of lumpiness using a potato masher, or if you don't have one, a spoon. (Guess which one I used?? :)) Add the half and half. Cook on high for 20 minutes. Garnish as desired (we added green onions and cheese, and served with crusty bread). Eat and enjoy!