Chunky potato soup

Ok Trinh...this one's for you!

Ingredients

3 medium red potatoes (or you can use russets)

2 cups water

1 small onion

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

crushed red pepper flakes

ground black pepper

3 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed cooked ham (you can also substitute bacon)

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Set aside potatoes. Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside. Peel and finely chop onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender. Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Cook 3-4 minutes. Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, and milk to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. Add cheese and ham. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

(Soup can sometimes become thick, so feel free to add more milk to thin it the next day.)