Slow Cooked Baked Potato Soup

I can't believe I haven't put this recipe on here yet! It's one of those unforgettable recipes. It's from "A Year of Slow Cooking" blog. It's a keeper, trust me. I'm making it today for tonight's dinner. It's sinfully delicious. Can't wait.

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end (I use one pkg.)
crumbled bacon, green onion, chives, or cheddar cheese as garnish (optional but you'll definitely want them)

-Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

-After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

-Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and cheddar cheese if desired.