Creamy Potato Leek Soup

As a busy mother of 4 and part time student, I get to use my crock pot quite a bit.  I don't know about where you live, but in my neck of the woods we definitely got some serious fall weather (cold and rainy).  As I was looking for a soup recipe, I stumbled over this one on this blog.  Awesome, since I get to make some soup and I get to use my crock pot.  This soup is absolutely amazing!  So creamy and full of flavor!  I love the sweetness of the leeks and the saltiness of the bacon.  Heavenly combination!:)  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

-2-3 leeks, washed, sliced, including white and light green parts

-1 cup chopped onion (or a handful of dehydrated chopped onion)

-1 carrot, sliced

-1 stalk of celery, sliced

-4 cups chicken broth

-1 Tb dried parsley flakes

-1 tsp garlic salt

-2 Tb butter

-12 oz. can evaporated milk

-16 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled

-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

-chives or green onions, chopped

-black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine everything except last 5 ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Stir in the can of evaporated milk the last 45 minutes. Serve hot topped with pepper, bacon, cheddar, and chives.