Happy New Year friends! I hope that your holidays were happy and healthy. As we begin another year with this allergy, my resolutions are to try some new foods at our house, create more of my own recipes, and blog more. How about you? What is on your “food agenda” for 2015? Leave a reply and let me know!

I have served this soup at lots of gatherings this season. Since many folks have requested the recipe, I thought I would share it with you. It began from a cookbook, but I have changed it so much that it is truly my own now. First, I reduced the preparation time (who doesn’t need that?) and second, I adjusted it to accommodate the fact that every member of my family likes something different on top! When I serve this, I set up a “soup bar” with sour cream, shredded cheddar, chopped green onions, fresh steamed broccoli, and chopped turkey bacon. Everyone is happy to help prepare the toppings and there are no complaints as everyone gets their perfect bowl of soup. If you add something to your “soup bar”, please comment at the bottom, so we can add it to our table too.

4-6  large baking potatoes

1/2  cup butter or margarine

1/2  cup flour

5  cups milk (I use 2%)

1  1/4  teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon pepper

1  cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar, plus more for topping

chopped cooked turkey bacon

fresh steamed broccoli

chopped green onions

sour cream

Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes. Completely cover the potatoes with water and bring to a full boil. Turn the heat down slightly and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Before draining the potatoes, measure out 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of the potato water and set the water aside. Drain the potatoes when cooked to desired tenderness.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; add flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium and gradually add milk and potato water (a total of 6 cups combined). Stirring constantly, cook until thickened and bubbly.

Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese. Cook until heated, but do not boil. Serve with the remaining shredded cheddar and the next 4 ingredients or other toppings of your choice. Serves 8. (To reheat, add milk or water and stir over medium-low heat until desired consistency.)