Potato Soup

This is a recipe I got from a friend of mine. It's hearty, yet simple to prepare:

6 cups chicken stock (you can just measure out 6 cups of water and add 6 tsp of Herb-Ox bouillon if you don't have any homemade stock)
5 lb. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-2 tsp fresh garlic
1 cooking onion, chopped
bacon - Oscar Mayer is a Kraft product and will list allergens specifically on the label (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Saute onion in butter (2-4 TBSP) in a large stock pot.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil
3. Add potatoes & garlic
4. Simmer until potatoes are cooked
5. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until soup is creamy
6. You can add cooked/crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese to it, if you choose, or be creative with what you'd like to add to your soup.