Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

I really like baked potato soup, especially the soup from outback, but I never attempted to make my own version at home. The pre-made kind just doesn't work for me. So, last night I made my first attempt.. I think it turned out pretty good to be honest. The looks were deceiving at first in the crock-pot but once we tried it for dinner, it really tasted good. I think next time I may make an adjustment here and there.

Serving size: 3
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours

Ingredients: 
4 red potatoes
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups of lower sodium chicken broth (I used butterball brand)
2 cups of milk (I used low fat 1%)
1/4 cup of sour cream ( I used reduced fat)
3 tbsp. of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of ground pepper
3/4 tsp. of salt
6 slices of bacon
cheddar cheese

Poke holes in the potatoes with a fork, then wrap potatoes with saran wrap and place in the microwave. For 4 potatoes, use 13 minutes or until they are soft. Then remove from saran wrap and cut in half to cook slightly.

When the potatoes are in the microwave,  Combine flour and 1/2 cup of milk, set aside for later use. Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat, add in onion. Cook for 1 minute. Add in chicken broth. Now add in mixture previously made. Add in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk to pan. Stir. bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, add in salt and pepper. I added the sour cream in at this time, but I think if I were to do it next time, I would either omit the sour cream or add it in once I have all the ingredients in the crock pot. 

Dice up the potatoes (either with skin or without skins however you prefer…. personally, next time I will discard the skins) Put potatoes in crock pot, then pour the pan mixture into the crock pot.

Cook 2 slices bacon either in microwave or griddle, or pan however you prefer until cooked then crumble it to pieces and add into crock-pot. Stir. 

Set to cook for 4 hours. I did high for 2 hours and the remaining 2 hours I turned it to low because high looked like it was becoming too much.

Also, if you don't want your potato soup too chunky, you can mash down some potatoes in the crock pot with the back of a spoon once they become very soft after a period of time.

Add crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese for garnish :)

I was really hungry, so this picture is taken after I mixed in my bacon crumbles and cheddar cheese.  I may or may not have already had a bite.