Chunky Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup

I love potato soup. I love it but I also love chunky soups. I can't stand to "drink" a soup because it's mainly liquid. I have to have something to crunch on and chomp on, not slurp. Because of that I make my soup much different than many people. I don't mash up the potatoes or blend them to make a smooth mixture. I just cook it all and leave it solid chunks and it is delicious! The ingredients I use make the soup end up tasting like a scrumptious loaded baked potato! I hope you enjoy the recipe! One of the family favorites here!

Chunky Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup

8 slices of bacon
9 red potatoes, diced into bite sized chunks you can peel if you like, I leave the skin on
1 onion
3 tsp minced garlic
4 carrots, sliced and chopped
4 stalks of celery, sliced
8 c chicken broth or 8 c water, 8 tsp chicken base
3 Tbs flour
1 c milk
3/4 c half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
1 c grated cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in a large pot of medium. Once it's cooked, remove the bacon and drain the grease, but keep about a Tbs worth of bacon grease in the pot. Add your onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring every once in a while, for about 3 minutes. Add all the seasonings and diced potatoes and toss to mix everything well. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes removing lid and stirring half way through. Remove lid, add the broth and stir well. Bring the heat to medium high and wait for mixture to boil. Let it continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Mix together the flour and milk until it's mixed well and add to the soup. Lower the heat back down to medium and let the soup cook for another 5 minutes to thicken. Add the half and half and cheddar cheese and stir until well mixed and the cheese is fully melted. Serve with a little extra cheese on top or as is. Hope you enjoy!