Guess who got a new Crockpot for Christmas? Ba-zam! Yes, I know that this makes me approximately a thousand years old, but I’m pretty excited. It’s like magic. You put a bunch of ingredients in it, and approximately eighty-four hours later, you have a delicious soup.

Seriously, though, I made some pretty awesome Crockpot delicacies this weekend, including this soup that I sort of made up as I went along. I used a variety of potatoes, to make it a bit more interesting. It also features smoked paprika, which is Jason’s favorite SOTM (Spice of the Moment). Truly, he will go through a jar of it in the blink of an eye, but I managed to spirit some away from him to give the soup a little heat and a delicious bacon-y flavor. Eat it on a cold night with a salad and some bread, and you’ll have enough energy to go head-to-head with the Abominable Snowman. Or to teach him how to use a Crockpot.

Smoky Potato Chowder

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or water with a couple bouillon cubes tossed in)
• 5 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1½ cups milk
• About 6 oz. cream cheese
• A bunch of green onions, sliced
• Grated cheddar cheese

Cook the onion and garlic win a little olive oil. When they are translucent, add the paprika and cook for a minute or two. Put the onion mixture in the Crockpot along with the stock and potatoes. Set the Crockpot to cook on low for six hours.

About an hour before you want to eat, use a potato masher to crush some of the potatoes. Add the milk, cream cheese and white part of the onions, mash together again, and set the Crockpot on high for an hour. When it’s done, ladle into bowls and garnish with the green part of the onions, cheddar cheese and freshly ground black pepper.