Potato Cheese Soup

Lydia's Mama's Note:

This recipe was given to me by a friend and I just love it. Good comfort food! The first time I made this, I followed the directions exactly and baked my potatoes for about 1 1/2 hours at 500 degrees. I passed the recipe on to my mom, who just boiled her potatoes and she said it turned out perfectly, so by all means, make things easier on yourself. Just thought I'd post orginal directions as they were given to me. I used an immersion blender to make the soup creamy, but still left a few small chunks of potato to add texture. Add liquid as needed. Yummy! This makes a huge amount, so feel free to half the recipe.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 6 -8 large baking potatoes
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2⁄3; cup flour
• 2⁄3; cup butter
• 8 -12 slices bacon , cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese , shredded
• salt and pepper , to taste

Directions:

1. Bake potatoes until soft, then peel.
2. Mash or cube the potatoes depending on the desired consistency for the soup.
3. In large soup pot, combine butter and flour to make a roux.
4. Cook for 1 minute then slowly whisk in liquids.
5. Add salt and pepper, potatoes, cooked bacon and cheese.
6. At the last minute, stir in the sour cream.
7. Season to taste with more salt and pepper before serving.
8. Soup will be thick, add milk to reheat.