Sweet & Savory Alpine Potato Soup
What do football, a polar vortex, and my kitchen have in common? Answer: They all inspired these potato-packed recipes!
During the playoffs and Super Bowl, I perfected my potato skins game—crispy, cheesy, and absolutely not “healthier,” even when made with sweet potatoes (because apparently adding bacon and cheese cancels out any virtue). I made two different potato skins recipes from Half-Baked Harvest and they both were so good! (Fully loaded potato skins and Crispy Cheesy Sweet Potato Skins).
Then, when the temperatures dropped to freeze-your-nose-hairs levels, I took all that delicious leftover stuffing and turned it into a soul-warming potato soup. My husband’s grandma had a simple, no-fuss recipe, and I gave it a little twist—mixing Idaho and sweet potatoes for extra depth of flavor.
Let’s just say, this was the good kitchen experiment of the month—unlike my recent attempt at chicken and dumplings, which resulted in a near fire alarm situation and three days of burning candles to erase the evidence.
Moral of the story: Simple recipes are the best, cheese is king, and when in doubt—make more soup. Enjoy!
Sweet & Savory Alpine Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover mashed Idaho potatoes insides of 4-6 potato skins
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato insides insides of 2-4 sweet potatoes
- 1 lb Italian sausage links, sliced we like the Trader Joe's chicken sausages
- 1/2 cup bacon bits
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 green onions chopped (for garnish)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- a pinch of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika for added heat optional
Instructions
- Brown the sausage (optional but recommended) – In a skillet, cook the Italian sausage until browned, then drain and add it to the slow cooker. If you’re feeling extra lazy, you can just add it into the slow cooker, but browning adds more flavor.
- Sauté the onions & garlic (optional but enhances flavor) – If you’re already using the skillet, sauté the onions until translucent, then add garlic for 30 seconds. Dump it all into the slow cooker.
- Add everything else into the crock pot – Toss in the mashed potatoes, sweet potato insides, bacon bits, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and any spices you want (cayenne, smoked paprika, etc.). Stir well.
- Set it and forget it – Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Blend (if desired) – Before serving, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you want a chunkier soup, skip this step.
- Stir in the heavy whipping cream – Mix it in just before serving to keep it from curdling.
- Top with green onions, extra bacon bits, and sharp cheddar cheese and enjoy!
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.