Potato Cheese Soup

Well, Marie has done it again. Marie Calendar's (the restaurant) gave out their daily special soup-potato cheese some years ago and I grabbed it and ran with it!!!! I used to make the soup with her cornbread but then I discovered this foccocia-like cheese bread that is just to-die-for so I accompany the soup with that now. Seeing that its been raining all week and still this weekend, it felt like a soup weekend. I even tried to make a fire in the fireplace only to be shut down when I had no 'starters'!!! You think I'm starting a fire from scratch? You've got to be kidding!!!


Potato Cheese Soup
Adapted from Marie Calendars

4 cups potatoes, cubed (approx. 4 med.- cook 20 min. or until tender and drain)
½ c celery, chopped (microwave with a dab of butter for 5 min or til tender)
¾ cup water
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 c milk or ½&½
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1½ tsp salt

In a blender, add ¾ cup of water and 1½ c cooked potatoes and blend until smooth. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook, stirring until slightly thickened and bubbly, then cook one minute more. Add cubed potatoes, pureed potatoes, celery, cheese, and salt. Heath through. This soup is supposed to be very thick but may be thinned with more water.

NOTE: chicken broth may be substituted for the water. In which case, be sure to cut back on the salt.