Crockpot Cheesy Smoked Sausage and Potato Soup ****

I'm not at all a fan of Velveeta, but this tastes more like a heartier, less cheesy version of hashbrown casserole.  We love it.  This time, I added some instant mashed potato flakes and some milk to thicken it up and stretch it a little further.  It dulls down the cheesiness of it a bit, which makes me happy.  Dh likes it either way, lol.  Definitely the perfect meal for a cold winter night.  :-)  Sadly, it was all gone again before I even remembered to take a picture.  :(  I did find the one below that is similar to it, however.

Photo of a similar recipe on Recipezaar

CROCKPOT CHEESY SMOKED SAUSAGE AND POTATO SOUP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 (30 oz) bag frozen shredded hashbrowns
16 oz turkey smoked sausage, cubed
2 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 onion, diced
Pepper, to taste
12 oz light Velveeta cheese

Rinse sausage to remove juice.
Combine everything but Velveeta and one cup of broth in crockpot. Stir well and cook on low 6-7 hours.
30 minutes before serving, cut cheese into cubes and stir into soup. Add remaining broth.  Cover and cook on high 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.