Potato Cheese Soup

This is by far my most requested recipe and one of my favorites.  If I am taking dinner to anybody, they'll most likely receive this with a crusty loaf of bread and a salad.  (By the way, I totally stole this picture from some other cook, but this is a lot like what my soup looks like!)

POTATO CHEESE SOUP

4 medium potatoes, diced

1 lg onion, chopped

5 cups water

1/4 cup butter

3 Tbls flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp seasoning salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

chopped chives

Boil potatoes and onion in water.  Simmer until tender.  Add butter.  In a bowl, whisk milk and flour together, then add to saucepan.  Mix and heat until thickened.  Add cheese.  When melted, add seasonings.  Garnish with chives.

That is the basic recipe.  The best part is that you can easily add or change it to what your family likes.  For example, we love strong cheeses, so I use a mix of sharp cheddar and whatever other strong cheese we have.  (Have you tried Costco's Coastal Cheddar?  It's yummy!)   You can also add carrots, corn, or other veggies.  

Enjoy!