Baked Potato Soup

So I start off about healthy eating and the first recipe I post is a creamy potato soup. I believe there are times that you should "treat" yourself. Yes, it's creamy, bacony and starchy, but all the ingredients are homemade and I believe that goes a long way. If you keep depriving yourself, it will only lead to the "pig-outs" that can be worse in the long run.

Ingredients:

• 2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 bacon strips, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Take the 2 large potatoes and peel them. Then bake in the oven until they are soft but still slightly firm. No mushy potatoes because they'll fall apart in the soup. Set aside and cool.
2. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside.
3. When bacon and potatoes have cooled, cubed the potatoes and set aside. And cut the bacon into medium bits and set aside.
4. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; mix well.
5. Gradually add broth. (See the consistency of the broth. If you like it "soupier" add more broth, you like it thicker than maybe half of the listed broth. I like thick and creamy soup, so it's about 2 cups of broth) Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.
6. Add the potatoes, bacon and cream; heat through but do not boil.
7. Garnish with the cheddar cheese.