Crockpot Split Pea Soup ****

I haven't made this in several years,  but for some reason, it sounded really good.  We loved it yet again.  I always sprinkle a little bit of cheese on the servings, but this time, I also stirred 8 oz of sour cream into the crockpot before serving.  I figured it might cut some of the spice from the Tony's, while also making the consistency a little creamier.  Yum!  Definitely going to do that again.

Photo of similar recipe from Recipezaar

CROCKPOT SPLIT PEA SOUP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 (16 ounce) package dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups diced ham (I rinse mine)
3 carrots, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery, chopped (or diced green peppers)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's or seasoning salt
Pepper, to taste
6 cups hot water
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients except the water and the bay leaf in a crockpot.  Do not stir.  Simply pour the water on top of the ingredients to disperse them.  Add bay leaf.
Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours (my preference) or high for 4-5 hours. 
Remove bay leaf before serving.

Previous reviews:
12/7/10 ~ I looked at several split pea soup recipes online and came up with this combination. Dh and I had never tried split pea soup before, so we didn't know what to expect. I hate green peas with a passion, and I always just assumed split pea soup tasted like that, lol. Oh, how wrong I was! Dh and I both LOVED this. The kids had already eaten, so they didn't try it. I would need to cut down on the Tony's or use seasoning salt in its place, since that adds a little spice. The kiddos aren't fond of that kind of thing. I also ended up using chopped green peppers instead of the celery, since I was out of celery. I would gladly do that again. Dh and I gobbled it down, though. I don't even like leftovers normally, and now I'm wishing I hadn't promised dh he could take them to work for lunch tomorrow. :-)