Potato Soup

We never make soup. I don't know why...I guess it just seems like we never have what we need on hand, or it just takes too long. Well I was determined to make some yesterday and decided potato soup would be a good choice since it didn't require any kind of meat - because I hadn't taken anything out to thaw. So I came across this recipe on All Recipes. I know, I know...instant potatoes?? Trust me...this was so good! We made a few minor changes, so below is our adaptation on the recipe. Enjoy!

2 potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped white onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake potatoes for 1 hour, or until done. Set aside to cool. We baked our potatoes in the microwave because I just didn't feel like waiting that long. We used 3 medium sized potatoes, pricked them with a fork, added some water to the bottom of the dish and cooked them for about 10 minutes in the microwave.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions and celery until tender and golden brown. Stir in flour, and cook 5 minutes to make a roux. Pour in chicken stock and water. Add cornstarch and mashed potato flakes. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the skin from the cooled potatoes, and discard. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, and stir into soup, along with the half-and-half and parsley. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. Spoon into bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, bacon and chopped green onion.