Cheese, Potato and Bacon Soup

This is a wonderful soup for a chilly fall or downright cold winter day. It's not fancy, but it does the trick when you're craving something with potatoes and cheese.

Adapted from Bon Appetite December 1995

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

2 cups milk

2-3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup packed shredded sharp cheddar cheese (approx. 4 oz.)

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

Hot pepper sauce

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and add celery, carrot, onion, and thyme. Saute until all vegetables begin to soften, about five minutes.

2. Sprinkle flour over the cooking vegetables and stir for two minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and then milk.

3. Add potato and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. While soup simmers, crisp bacon strips in a skillet.

4. Add cheese 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Mix in bacon.

5. Season soup to taste with hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Serve!