Ingredients:

Potatoes
Milk
Onion
1 lb. bacon
About 2 cups shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chives


Peel and cut enough potatoes to fill a large sized pot about halfway. Bring to a boil and strain off about 2/3's of the hot water. Take a potato smasher and break down the potatoes just until to have small chunks and enough mashed to make the soup thick and creamy.

Chop the onion and put aside.

Cut bacon into bite size pieces and cook in a pan until crisp.

Remove the bacon and add 1 half to the pot with the potatoes.

Add 1 cup of shredded cheese to the bacon and potatoes.

Add half the chopped onion to the pot (you may add more i fyou desire too).

Now with a spoon in one hand and the container of milk in the other slowly pour the milk in until you reach a good soup consistency. I always go by eyesight. (If you add too much milk do not worry. I have a rue recipe at the bottom of this one)

Bring the soup mixture to a low boil or until the ingredients have had enough time to heat and blend well. Cheese will make the soup creamy and add some color, but be careful not to let it burn at the bottom of the pot. (The onion should have enough time to become soft)

Once the onion has cooked you may serve the soup. Use the remaining bacon, cheese to garnish. Sour cream and chives finish off this loaded baked potato soup quite nicely.

*If you add to much milk and you want to thicken the soup up here is what you can do.

Take out a small pan. Add 1-2 tablespoons of plain white flour to the pan. Heat it until it becomes slightly golden in color. Add butter to make the flour into a paste. Add this to your soup and stir well. It will cause the soup to thicken.

This is a family recipe.

If you want plain old potato just leave out the rest. Or if you want ham and potato after you add the milk add your ham and leave out the rest.