Janae Toms of Mason started cooking in her crockpot when her daughter was born 24 years ago. Then, she wanted to have more time with her daughter. Now, the crockpot affords her more time for herself.

This recipe for Crockpot Potato Soup is one of her favorite winter dishes. Chopped potatoes and onions are simmered all day with bacon, cream cheese, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup. Each serving contains 18 grams of fat.

For this recipe, we:

Reduced the amount of regular cream cheese from 8 ounces to 3, and added 5 ounces of fat-free cream cheese.

Used fat-free chicken broth.

Used Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup.

Reduced the amount of bacon from 8 ounces to 6.

We loved the fact there were no last minute preparations for this soup. The work is done in the morning, and the benefits reaped at mealtime. There was a subtle difference in creaminess between the two soups, but the flavor of the rehab was excellent.

With only 8 grams of fat per entire serving, this soup is worth a try. After a busy day, it's a real treat to know that dinner is ready and waiting!

Recipe Rehab Tip of the Week: For an extra gram of fiber per serving, leave the skin on the potato.

Crockpot Potato Soup

8 cups peeled, diced potatoes

1 small onion chopped

6 ounces bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled

3 ounces regular cream cheese

5 ounces fat-free cream cheese

3 cans fat-free chicken broth

1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In 4-quart crockpot, combine potatoes, onion, and bacon. In large mixing bowl, combine cream cheeses; add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and pepper, stirring until blended. Add soup mixture to crockpot; stir to blend. Cover; cook on low heat for 10 hours. If you like, mash the potatoes slightly for thicker soup. Makes 8 servings.

Before and After

Values based on 1 serving (1/8 of recipe)

Crockpot Potato Soup ... Adapted

Calories ... 330 ... 261
Fat ... 18 g ... 8 g
Carbohydrate ... 32 g ... 32 g
Sodium ... 1198mg ... 1001mg
Cholesterol ... 42 mg ... 22 mg
Fiber ... 3 g ... 3 g
Calories from fat ... 49% ... 30%

Nutritionists recommend those on daily 2,000 calorie diet limit their fat consumption to 65 g or less, cholesterol to 300 mg or less and sodium to 2,400 mg or less per day. Karen Weber, Pat Streicher and Ellen Illig are registered dietitians at Jewish Hospital's Cholesterol Center. Their Recipe Rehab Cookbook, with 250 recipes published in the Enquirer over the last eight years, is available by mail. Send check or money order for $40 to: RR Cookbook, P.O. Box 58100, Cincinnati 45258.

Ask him about apples
Mag says men here aren't healthy
Radio Q102 lets in the adults
Smart mouth
Trade Secrets
Trim fat, but not the flavor, in Crockpot Potato Soup
Warm up to a good frozen soup
Web serves up vast selection of sites for Internet browsers who love wine
Body & mind
Don't put off treatment for depression
A voice kids and theatergoers love
Local star search gone country
Get to it