This is our favorite, go-to soup in the fall and winter. It can be thrown together in 20 minutes or less, is great doubled for a crowd, and chances are -- you have everything on hand. It is adapted from the Baker Upstairs. We LOVE Jamie’s Breadsticks with it.

Easy Potato Cheese Soup -- printable version here.

6-8 small russet potatoes or 4 big ones

4 Tbs. butter (if you want to make it REALLY good, substitute some bacon drippings for the butter. Basically, when you make bacon, save the bacon grease in a container just for this purpose. It makes it YUM.)

1/2 cup flour

2 cups milk --whatever you have on hand

4 cups chicken broth OR 4 cups water + 4 chicken boullion cubes (my favorite is the Better Than Bouillon -- I find it is least expensive at Costco)

Seasoned salt and or garlic salt to taste

a couple of big handfuls of shredded cheese

a few big spoonful's of sour cream (also optional if you don’t have it on hand)

Optional:

If you don’t have bacon drippings, throwing in some real bacon bits is so yummy

*optional: garnish with additional cheese, sour cream, real bacon bits and green onion.

Pierce the potatoes a few times and microwave them all until soft, in my microwave it’s about 12 minutes. Let cool while you are putting everything else together. When cool, I take the skins off, but I know some like to leave them on. Cut them into bite size pieces

Melt the butter in a large soup pot, add the flour and whisk until smooth and combined about 2 minutes. Add the milk and chicken broth and cook, stirring occasionally until thick and bubbly, about 6-8 minutes.

Gently stir in potato chunks. Add seasoned salt/garlic salt to taste and add the cheese, stir until melted. Take off heat, stir in sour cream.

Printable version here.

Enjoy!!