What's Cooking Good Looking?

Here it is, Sunday morning again and I am contemplating what to make for lunches next week.  I seem to be back on one of my soup kicks.  I love how filling and satisfying soup is, and it is portable and quick to heat up in the staff room at lunch.

I know the soup below looks way to decadent for an everyday meal, but I am going to make the base part of it (potato soup) and then add some healthier toppings.  Not that I don't love sour cream, bacon bits and shredded cheese, but I think I'll stick to a little chopped green onion on mine.  I am also believer in portion control.  I would rather have half a cup of yummy, delicious soup than a whole bowl of something devoid of flavour and texture.  I will have a little soup and a BIG salad for lunch next week and that will get me through the days!

I saw the recipe for this soup while watching television on my march break holiday.  I had a US station on and there was a lovely woman and her two sons cooking the soup in preparation  for St.Patrick's day.  When I discovered that the lovely woman was Tamara Chilver from the blog Teaching with TLC, I knew I just had to try it.  Tamara is the founder of Teaching Blog Addict and was part of the team who created the Virtual Teaching Expo.
I encourage you to read her blog page, she has lots of hints and there is an embedded link to the television show I watched while on break, just click on the link above!

I have converted the units below for my Canadian blogger buddies but left the US units as well.  

1 750 g  (30oz.) bag of frozen, shredded hash browns 

1 can of cream of chicken soup

 1 and 1/2 900 ml boxes (48 oz.) of chicken broth
Dash of pepper
1 pkg. brand name cream cheese (add last hour of cooking)
optional- 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms

In a crockpot, combine everything except for the cream cheese. You can add any extra ingredients you may like in your soup (sauteed onions, mushrooms, or shredded cheddar cheese.)  I plan to add a little cheese to mine.  Tamara says her family likes it cheesy, so I'll take her word for it.

Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat until most of the shredded potatoes are dissolved.  Some people prefer some shredded potatoes for extra texture but when most of the potatoes are dissolved  it makes the soup thicker. Add cream cheese about an hour before serving and keep heated until thoroughly melted.

I got up early, and the soup is in the crock pot.  I love my crockpot.  What is your favourite thing to cook in a crockpot?  

Am I the only one who obsesses about school lunches?  I'm always looking for new ideas...I would love to feature you, your blog and your recipes on What's Cooking Good Looking so please drop me a line or leave me a comment.