Baked Potato Soup

It snowed this week so I decided to make something warm and delicious. In my later years of adolescence my Mom started make a potato soup that I really enjoyed. Its probably the thing that I liked the most that she made. With the weather being so cold, this would be the perfect thing to make.
Although this recipe may look complicated, really it isn't and its totally worth making... make it now or regret it later!

Ingredients:

5 med potatoes

3tbs butter

1 cup diced white onion

2tbs flour

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2tsp basil

1/8 tsp thyme

1 cup half and half 

1.  preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes for 1 hour or until done ( when potatoes are done remove them from the oven to cool

2.  melt butter in a large sauce pan and saute onion until light brown.  Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux. (means brown it slightly)

3.  Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes and spices to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes (watch that bottom doesn't burn)

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 shunks that are about 1/2 inch in size

5. add chopped baked potato and half and half (or milk) 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. (stir often so bottom doesn't burn)

Nick and Staci loved the deliciousness