Creamy Potato Soup

I received several inquiries for the potato soup I made and showed in my last post. Rather than email it to everyone, I thought it'd be easier if I posted it here:

CREAMY POTATO SOUP

6 slices of bacon
1 c. chopped onion
6 c. potatoes, cubed
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 soup cans of milk
2 tbsp. parsley

In saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside. Pour off all but 3 tbsp. bacon fat. Add onion and brown. Add potatoes and water. Cook covered 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Watch carefully so that water doesn't evaporate; add more water if necessary. Stir in salt, soup, and milk. Heat, but do not boil. Garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley. This is a hearty soup. For a thinner soup, add more milk or water. Serves 6.

NOTES: I use the above recipe as a guideline only. This last time, I didn't have bacon so I browned some ground turkey and used that instead. I also added a bay leaf, and more milk to make it the consistency I wanted (also to dilute the mushroom taste). I added garlic and pepper, too. Other times, I've used cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup. You can also add fresh celery and carrots, but be sure to cook them with the potatoes before adding the other ingredients. I also tend to use more potatoes than what this recipe calls for. And I *always* sprinkle with shredded cheese. Yummy!

For those of you who'd like to try a crockpot version, I posted THIS recipe last year.