Averie Cooks

-1 To a 6-quart slow cooker, add the potatoes, onion, broth, stir, cover with the lid and slow cook on HIGH for about 3-4 hours, or on LOW for about 6 hours, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and soft. Tips - Cook time will vary according to the size you cut your potatoes noting that larger chunks will take longer, the heat output of your slow cooker, and climate variances. Make sure to continue cooking until the potatoes are nice and tender. It does not matter whether you opt for high or low cooking in this recipe.
-1 While the mixture is simmering, make the bacon, and crumble or dice it into small pieces. Tip - To save time, energy, and for easier cleanup, I use precooked bacon. Place it on a microwave-safe plate, and zap it on high for about 1-2 minutes, or cook according to the package directions. You're just crisping it up, because it's already been fully cooked. Or you can make bacon the old-fashioned way, using your favorite type of bacon. Set aside until ready to use in the soup.
-1 After the potatoes are soft and tender, add about three-quarters of the bacon pieces (reserve the remainder for garnishing), all the cream cheese, 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (reserve the remainder for garnishing), milk, cornstarch slurry, garlic powder, salt, pepper, stir to combine, cover with a lid, and cook on HIGH power for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese and cheese have melted and can be stirred smooth.
-1 Using a potato masher, mash about half the potatoes, or as desired. Tips - The more you mash, the thicker the soup will seem. You can use an immersion blender if you have one but I actually prefer the coarser texture from a masher and less of the pureed texture than an immersion blender creates, but it's up to you. If your soup is too thick/too thin, see the Notes below for remedies.
-1 Taste the soup and if necessary, adjust the seasoning balance. Flavor Tips - If the soup tastes as all flat, boring, dull, or lackluster, it likely needs more salt. You're seasoning many pounds worth of (plain) ingredients like potatoes and salt is essential to bring out the best in these basic ingredients, especially if you used reduced sodium chicken broth, which I do so I can control and adjust the salt at the end. Additionally, add more pepper and/or garlic powder, if desired. For a touch of intensity (not so much "heat" but just depth of flavor), a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper is great and I almost always add a pinch to any soup.
-1 Ladle the soup into bowls, and evenly garnishing with the remaining bacon pieces, reserved shredded cheese, and optional green onions, and sour cream.
-1 Storage - Extra soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. While I don't actively encourage freezing dairy-based recipes, because of the fat in the sour cream and shredded cheese, the soup should be fine to freeze airtight for up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, taking care not to overheat them because you don't want the dairy proteins to denature (break) from using too high of heat.