Best Ever Potato Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 10 cups water
• 4 tablespoons ham soup base
• 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1 3/4 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 5 cups peeled and diced potatoes (i use the red skinned)
• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup american cheese spread (i use velveeta)
• flour (optional)
• water, equal parts with flour,whisked with flour together until smooth to thicken soup (optional)
• salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 in large soup pot, combine water, ham base, ham, carrots, celery and onions.
• 2 cook over medium heat 15 minutes.
• 3 add potatoes and cook until tender, 30 to 30 minutes.
• 4 combine milk and cheese spead in medium saucepan.
• 5 cook on low heat until cheese has melted stirring often so it does not burn.
• 6 add to potato mixture.
• 7 if desired, thicken soup by gradually adding the flour/water mixture until soup has reached desired consistency.
• 8 add salt and pepper.