Why bother with the crock pot in the first place? There isn’t a thing in your recipe that will actually benefit from long, low and slow cooking. In fact, it’ll probably just make the sausage weird and water logged, and turn the potatoes to mush.
I’d use a normal pot and aim for something more akin to the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana, and do the following:
Slice the sausage into small bite sized slices. Brown in your pot, then remove. Make a mirepoix of finely chopped carrots, celery and onion. Cook in the pot with the sausage grease (add oil if needed) until lightly browned. Toss in a minced clove or two of garlic for the last few minutes.
Add in your broth, cook for 45 minutes to an hour at a simmer, add the potatoes at the last 15 minutes, then add some heavy cream at the end. Salt and pepper to taste.
I’d get red or yellow potatoes, because russet potatoes have a tendency to turn to mush in soups.