I love a hearty soup served as a meal -- especially on colder spring days. The family likes to choose their own toppings for this soup, really imagination is yours to customize this soup to your tastes. Just make a tossed green salad with your favorite dressing, add a couple of slices of toasted crusty bread and set out a tray of soup condiments. Sliced green onions or chives, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream are the choices at our house.


Easy Baked Potato Soup
yields 6 servings

Ingredients

5 medium potatoes Baked (about 2 cups chopped)
7 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups diced white onions
5 tablespoons rice flour
1 container chicken broth
10 cups water
5/8 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
3 cups Milk

Garnish
Bacon Bits, Chives, Sour Cream Cheese

Directions

Wash potatoes thoroughly to remove surface dirt. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. While oven is heating place potatoes on a baking sheet. Put potatoes on sheet in oven for about an hour, or until a fork will go through without resistance.
As the potatoes are cooling, melt your butter in a large saucepan and saute your onions until light brown. Add in your flour to make a roux.

Add in your chicken broth, water, cornstarch, instant mashed potatoes and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce your heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Take your cooled potatoes and peel off the skin and chop up into desired pieces.
Add in your chopped up potatoes and the milk to your soup and bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until it is thick.
Garnish with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream and chives


Variations:
You can add browned ground beef for "Cottage Pie Soup", a can of chili for a great southwest potato or even diced cooked chicken for a hearty cream of chicken soup. This potato soup recipe also makes a great base for a really thick Boston clam chowder.