Potato Soup

During the cold winter months, nothing is better than a bowl of steaming soup. My husband and I love this soup recipe. Honestly, I usually make this soup when I have extra potatoes sitting around, sometimes I'd rather save money than time...but if they aren't on hand, I use Southern-style hash browns. You can make this as fancy as you'd like by adding toppings like bacon, chives, and sour cream.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 quart of chicken broth (I usually use 2 cans since that is what I buy)
• 1/4 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package of turkey gravy mix
• 1 cup of half-and-half
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel and cube potatoes (or open bag of hash browns-saute in skillet with butter for 10 minutes) and place into slow cooker.
2. Add onions, garlic, butter, and chicken broth.
3. Cook on high 3 hours (or low for 6); when potatoes are tender, mash them a bit to thicken the soup.
4. Add gravy mix; stir.
5. Add half-and-half; stir.
6. Leave slow cooker on "warm" 20 minutes or so to thicken.
7. Before serving, add cheddar cheese and allow to melt.

Difficulty: Easy, especially if you use hash browns

Time: 20 minutes prep, 4 hours cook time

Source: Adapted from a few friends' recipes