Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Crock Pot)

I will admit one of the meals that I'm most lazy to prepare is lunch. Most times I prepare myself a decent size breakfast and instead of lunch I snack on cheese and crackers, fruit or sometimes I'll prepare myself a grilled cheese. I really try to manage my time by preparing meals during Elena's naptime or playtime, but I usually reserve that time for making dinner or catching up on my trashy reality shows. Priorities right?

The best solution to my lunch and dinner woes is utilizing my crock pot or slow cooker. I always snicker when I hear the word crock pot, but a slow cooker isn't a term that is too familiar here on the West Coast. Rather than my crock pot collecting dust in the garage, I will be using it to prepare more meals.

This ahhhhh-mazing loaded baked potato soup was one of the first many meals that I have made using my crock pot. There is nothing as comforting as hot bowl of soup during these cold winter months. This loaded baked potato soup is exactly like having a baked potato but in soup form. Plus with the additional meat candy aka crispy bacon on top, it's absolutely perfect.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Crock Pot)
Adapted from Pink Parsley
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Ingredients:

Two-Potato Gratin

I will shamefully admit there are shortcuts in the kitchen that I like to take. I love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese as a back-up dinner when I don't feel like cooking a meal...it takes 10 minutes to prepare and serve. I love Texas Toast...the one from the freezer section. We love TJ's pumpkin pancake mix, it's the foolproof way to make pancakes during those lazy weekends. I love boxed potatoes au gratin because it costs $1. I sometimes eat dinosaur chicken nuggets for lunch because by the time it's done cooking, I have finished feeding Elena her lunch. I like simple and easy things in my life especially while trying to handle all my mommy and wifey duties.

But sometimes I don't like taking shortcuts when I have company over for dinner. I always want to bring the wow factor to table because that's the kind of dinner host I am. My awesome bestie was in town for the week and had recently celebrated a birthday. Sometimes we peruse the streets and hit up a food truck or visit my favorite waffle sandwich place. But I really wanted to cook her a special meal just because she was Becky, one of my greatest girlfriends that I have in my life and it's not too often that we get to hang out.

I came across this recipe in the latest issue of Cooking Light and instantly knew that it would be perfect for dinner. Sometimes the main dish doesn't always need to be the main attraction, sometimes the side dishes can make the meal ahhh-mazing. This was a nice twist on the traditional au gratin due to the combination of the sweet potatoes mixed with the regular potatoes. Plus, the ooey gooey cheesy Gouda sauce was irresistible. This would be a fantastic accompaniment to any special occasion meal. I paired this with a simple roasted lemon chicken and salad and served caramel apple crumb bars (recipe coming soon) for dessert...and it all made for one memorable meal.

Skip the shortcuts for this tasty dish!

Two-Potato Gratin
Adapted from Cooking Light: December 2012
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