Baked Potato Soup

This is one of my most requested recipes.  My family loves it, especially this time of year, when the air is getting cooler, and it rains more often.  It is also on the menu every year for our soups and stews diner at church during our fall fest.  And again this year, I will be making a 6 quart crock pot full (I triple the recipe).

2 medium potatoes (about 2 cups chopped)
3 tbsp butter
1 cup diced white onion
2 tbsp flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1 cup half and half

Garnish with
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon (or bacon bits)
2 green onions, chopped (green part only)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake potatoes for 1 hour or until done.  when potatoes have cooked remove them from the oven to cool.  You can also nuke your potatoes in the Microwave.  Usually it's 8-12 mins per potato depending on how big.

2.  As potatoes cool prepare soup by melting butter in a large saucepan, and saute onion until light brown.  Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux. 

3.  Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with a large spoon.  Discard skin.  Chop baked potato with a large knife to make chunks that are about 1/2-inch in size.

5.  Add chopped baked potato and half and half to the saucepan, bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it is thick.

6.  Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with about a tbsp of shredded cheddar cheese, a half tbsp of bacon, and a tsp or so of chopped green onion.

Repeat for remaining servings.  Serves 6 to 8 (according to the recipe, but I double the recipe for my gang)

If you try it, please let me know what you think.