Laurel'S Potato Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups diced potatoes
3 stalks celery, diced
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can corn, drained
4 cups kitchen stock unsalted chicken stock, divided
2 2/3 cups fat-free half-and-half
1/3 cup land o' lakes light butter with canola oil, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sodium-free instant chicken
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon colman's dry mustard
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat whipped cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 (12 ounce) packages hormel diced ham (optional)
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon six-pepper spice blend

Preparation

In a large pot, bring potatoes, celery and onion to a boil in 2 cups of broth. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. (I nuked the diced potatoes for six minutes before putting them in the pot.) Drain and reserve liquid.
. Saute ham in separate pan, if using. Add mushrooms after ham has started to crisp.
Combine reserved broth and half-and-half in pot. In a bowl, combine melted butter and flour. (I melted the butter in a measuring cup and added an equal amount of flour.) Stir into half-and-half mixture over medium heat. Stir until thickened. Stir in reserved vegetables, ham & mushrooms (drain if watery), corn, remaining broth, Instant Chicken, parmesan, whipped cream cheese, and pepper. Heat through and serve.
Don't be afraid to play around with the ingredients and add more or less to taste. The cream cheese is sweet, so the parmesan & dry mustard balance it.