Potato Soup

I make several versions of this soup since it's so easy and tasty, but this is my favorite and the one that I seem to come back to.

Potato Soup
3-4 Large baking potatoes
1 stick butter
about 8 tbs flour
1/2 onion chopped
8 cups milk
1 package frozen peas
1/2 to 1 cup diced ham, or 1 small can Hormel canned ham (usually found near the tuna fish)
2 cups shredded cheese
About 3-4 tbs salt
About 1-2 tbs black pepper

Wash, cut up, and boil potatoes for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in the same pot. Add onion and saute until onion is clear.

Whisk flour into the butter 1 tbs at a time until it forms a paste. Gradually whisk milk into butter, flour and onion mixture. (whisking ensures there are no lumps).

Add potatoes, peas, and ham to the pot and let cook until it boils. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom.

Stir in Cheese until melted. (If you add this too soon, your cheese will clump). Season with salt and pepper to taste. If your soup tastes kind of bland add more salt.

Makes aprox 6-8 adult servings