Crock Pot Potato Soup Recipe

This is the first thing I've ever really made completely without a recipe. I was searching and searching and couldn't find a recipe I was satisfied with so I just kind of went for it. Keep in mind that I'm a vegetarian so there obviously isn't any meat in this but I'm sure you could add ham and/or bacon or something as you wish. I loved it so maybe you will too :)

Ingredients

* 2 cans of vegetable broth
*2 stalks of celery
*2 carrots (I used baby carrots since Tyler and Alexis don't like them so the pieces were smaller)
*1 diced onion (or less if you don't like onions much)
*4 red potatoes
*1 4oz block of velveeta cheese
*1 2oz block of colby/monteray jack cheese (mixed)
*Imitation bacon bits
*Shredded cheddar cheese
*1/2 cup of milk
*1 stick of margarine

1. Boil potatoes until they are tender when poked with a fork.

2. While potatoes are boiling, add vegetable broth to the crock pot and chop celery, carrots and onions and add them to the broth in the crock pot. Once potatoes are finished, drain, peel and slice them into bite sized pieces. I left the skin on the potatoes but it came off once they were in the crock pot. I don't mind the skin but some people might not like random bits of potato skin.

3. Add potatoes to crock pot, cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

4. Close to the last hour of cooking, begin melting cheese. Put water into pot just so it covers the bottom. Set on medium heat and add blocks of cheese. Stir as cheese melts so it will blend together. Once cheese is melted and smooth add to crock pot along with milk during the last hour of cooking.

5. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes once everything is together so the cheese will blend with everything else. Add shredded cheese and bacon bits as garnish or during cooking, your choice.

That's it! It's really easy but I also really like to cook. This potato soup is much thinner than normal potato soup because I don't use cream. If you do want a thicker consistency you can try 1/2 cup of flour (I use unbleached all natural) or of course, try adding more cheese :)