Cheesy Potato Soup

One of the first things I made after I perfected a white sauce, was this warm, comforting potato soup loaded with cheese.  It's great for those lazy fall evenings, served with a big chunk of crusty bread.

While I do make this in the slow cooker, it's not purely a slow cooker recipe.  I just like being able to set my slow cooker to low and not sweat this for a few hours while I work on something else on a Saturday afternoon.  You could easily prepare this on the stove top as well.

This recipe calls for celery salt.  I have two celery haters in the house.  If I didn't, I'd add some celery to this instead.  However, I do like the flavor the celery salt gives it.  Occasionally I'll add about a cup of leftover ham, but mostly I like this as a vegetarian meal. Add the ham with the potatoes if desired.

Cheesy Potato Soup

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon celery salt
ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

Combine potatoes, onion, celery salt, pepper and water in a 4 quart slow cooker.  Cook on low 4 hours or high 2 hours until potatoes are tender.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute.  Stir in milk, stirring to prevent lumps.  Continue stirring over medium heat until thickened, about 4 - 5 minutes.  Slow stir in cheese and whisk until cheese is melted.

Stir the cheese sauce into the slow cooker and cook another 30 - 60 minutes on low.  Check for seasonings and add salt if needed.