Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup

I'm looking forward to next week.  Our office is closed for the week and I'm looking forward to the much needed break.  Since flights are outrageous to Nebraska right now, I'm unfortunately, not going to get home for Christmas either.  So this year, Chris and I have decided to make our own little tradition for Christmas.  We decided soup was in order for that day.  Something simple and warming.  Nothing outrageous, nothing fancy, nothing time consuming, just simple and perfect.  Now this is not the soup I'll be serving on Christmas.  We actually decided on one I have made before - Creamy White Chicken Chili - But I thought that story would be a nice lead into this recipe :)

I really liked this soup.  I would have loved it had I not been stingy with the cheese.  I don't think I measured right and even if I did, I should have tasted it first and realized it wasn't cheesy enough for me.  Other than that... simple and delicious... perfect for the holidays!

Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup
Adapted from Cooking.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes or smaller
1 cup water
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Directions:
In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside.  Remove from pat and place on paper towel liked plate.  In the same pan with the bacon grease, over medium low heat, add the onions and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the potatoes, water and chicken broth and turn the heat up to medium high.  Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until they start to fall about, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and with an immersible blender, puree the potatoes until smooth.   Stir in the milk.  Place over low heat and stir in the cheese, a little at a time, until it's all melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and top with crumbled bacon.  Enjoy!

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