Potato, Bacon and Cheese Soup...From Scratch!

I've been doing a bit more cooking these days and in doing so, stumbled upon a new favorite...Potato, Bacon and Cheese soup. We used to enjoy the occasional meal at Max and Erma's, where I (a self-professed non-soup-lover) decided that I loved their potato-bacon-and-cheese soup. And then one day...they were closed forever with no warning. Which of course, meant bye-bye new favorite soup!

And so, after a long winter of wishing that Max and Erma's would suddenly reopen, I decided to take matters into my own hands. And I think I succeeded! Oh yes, I definitely found a winner.

How can this possibly be bad when it starts with bacon?

Is there anything that smells much better than bacon, onions and celery browning? YUM!

And here is the finished product. It is pretty much perfect. Not healthy and not a thin soup, it's more like a very hearty stew, but if you're craving warm creamy potato soup, this will hit the spot.

4 ounces bacon, cut in 1/4" pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut in 1/4" dice
1-1/2 ribs celery, cut in 1/4" dice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth (one box of the pre-made broth)
3 cups peeled, 1/2-inch potato cubes (about 2 medium baking potatoes)
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt, optional
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
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Place a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add diced bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until bacon is brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Immediately add onions and celery and saute until soft and tender, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add flour to vegetables. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add chicken broth and potato cubes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add half-and-half, ground black pepper and salt and simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir in grated cheese until thoroughly melted. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Hope you enjoy!