Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup with Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients

• 32 oz chicken broth (One carton)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• minced garlic (One heaping spoonful, plus a little more to taste)
• 1 onion (Diced; optional if you do not like onions)
• 7 russet potatoes (Use 6 to 8 potatoes depending on size; peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces)
• 0.75 cup butter (Divided: 1/2 stick cut into pieces for the soup, plus 1/4 cup melted for brushing the biscuits)
• 2.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups for the soup and 1/2 cup for the biscuit mixture)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1.5 cup heavy whipping cream (Half-and-half or milk may also be used)
• 5 oz bacon bits (Two bags, 2.5 ounces each; reserve some for topping)
• 1 box Cheddar Bay biscuit mix (Use the biscuit mix and its seasoning packet; package weight was not stated)
• 0.75 cup cold water (For the biscuit mixture)
• 1 packet biscuit seasoning packet (From the biscuit mix box; package amount was not stated)

Steps

1. 1

   Pour the 32-ounce carton of chicken broth into the crockpot. Add the pepper, salt, and a heaping spoonful of minced garlic, adding a little more garlic if desired.

2. 2

   Dice the onion and add it to the crockpot. The onion may be omitted if you do not like onions.

3. 3

   Peel 6 to 8 russet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Add the potatoes to the crockpot and stir everything together.

4. 4

   Cut 1/2 stick of butter into pieces and add it to the crockpot.

5. 5

   Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 7 hours.

6. 6

   When the soup is nearly done, prepare the potato texture. Remove most of the potatoes from the crockpot, leaving a few chunks behind if you want some texture.

7. 7

   Mash the removed potatoes with the back of a fork. If you prefer a completely smooth soup, remove and mash all of the potatoes instead of leaving chunks.

8. 8

   Return the mashed potatoes to the crockpot, then add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Half-and-half or milk may be substituted for the cream.

9. 9

   Fry the two bags of bacon bits, then stir most of them into the soup. Reserve some bacon bits for topping.

10. 10

    In a separate bowl, combine the Cheddar Bay biscuit mix, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 3/4 cup cold water. Mix until combined.

11. 11

    Drop the biscuit mixture over the top of the soup in individual drop-biscuit portions.

12. 12

    Lay paper towels across the top of the crockpot, then put the lid on. The paper towels absorb moisture and help the biscuits cook through; keep the towels positioned so they do not touch a heat source.

13. 13

    Cook on high for another 1 to 2 hours, until the biscuits are cooked through.

14. 14

    Melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter and mix in the biscuit seasoning packet. Brush the seasoned melted butter over the cooked biscuits.

15. 15

    Serve the loaded potato soup hot, topped with the reserved bacon bits.

Notes

The source does not specify the biscuit mix box size, the exact amount of garlic, or the total cooking vessel capacity. Use caution with the paper-towel method and keep the towels away from any external heat source.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• slow-cooked
• crockpot
• comfort food
• fall
• American
• bacon