Potato Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Sherri Wiltbank. It is SO good! Every bit as good and thick as a really fattening chowder recipe, but the only fat in here is from a cup of cheese and the 1% milk I used! Even my picky girls ate all their soup!

6 cups chopped, peeled potatoes
2 cups water
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion (I added one cup instead)
(I added 1 cup of corn also)
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
dash pepper (more to taste)
2 cubes chicken bouillon (I added 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon powder instead)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used colby-jack)

Combine all ingredients except for milk, flour, and cheese in a large pot. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Pour the milk in a blender, add the flour, and blend until smooth.Or, in a bowl, gradually add milk to flour, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add milk mixture to soup, add cheese, and cook until thickened and cheese is melted. If you like, you can put about 1/2 the soup in the blender and puree it. Then add it back in with the rest of the soup and it will be extra thick and creamy!

Next time I'm going to turn this soup into clam chowder by adding a couple cans of clams and omitting the cheese and corn....