Crock Pot Potato and Ham Hock Soup

5 C. peeled and chopped potatoes 1 lb. meaty smoked ham hocks 1 small onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 3/4 C. chicken broth 1 1/2 T. butter 1/2 C. heavy cream 1 C. chopped or shredded leftover ham (optional) shredded cheese and parsley for serving

Place the first 9 ingredients in your crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove the ham hocks to a plate to cool, add the butter to the pot, cover and cook till the butter has melted. Remove all the meat you can from the ham hocks, set aside. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup leaving some chunks of the potatoes. Stir in the heavy cream then add the meat from the ham hocks and leftover ham, if using. Cover and cook for 5 minutes to heat the meat. Check the soup to see if you need a tad more salt and serve with a little shredded cheddar cheese and parsley.