Loaded Baked Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

medium sized potatoes , about 1-1/2 pounds

slices of bacon , chopped

1/2 cup

unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups

diced onion

1/2 cup

diced celery

2 tsp

minced garlic

3/4 cup

all purpose flour

5 cups

chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 cups

milk

1 1/2 cups

half and half

2 tsp

kosher salt

turns of the pepper grinder

1/2 tsp

Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama ), or to taste, optional

Couple dashes of hot sauce

1/3 cup

sour cream

1 1/2 cups

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/8 cup

sliced green onions

Additional cooked crisp bacon or bacon bits , for garnish, optional

Additional sliced green onion , for garnish, optional

Dollop of sour cream , for garnish, optional