Restaurant Style Baked Potato Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter
4 cups diced onions
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup chicken base, mixed with 8 c. water
1 1/4 cups instant instant potato flakes
4 cups half-and-half (Sometimes I use heavy cream)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon basil (this usually gets tripled once we got an herb garden bc its so amazingly aromatic when it's fresh...)
1 -4 dash Tabasco sauce
2 cups cooked diced potatoes (no joke i made them in the microwave last week)
grated cheddar cheese (grate your own)
4 slices bacon, fried, drained, and crumbled
green onion tops or fresh chives

Preparation

In large stock pot saute onions in butter 10- 15 minute Do not brown.
Add flour to onions and butter, cook 4-5 minute Do not brown.
Mix chicken stock with potato buds. Use a whisk to blend until smooth.
Add stock mixture to roux. mixing slowly with whisk. Cook 15- 20 minute.
Whisk in half and half and cook for 10 more minutes. Do not boil.
Add spices and taste and toggle taste :).
Add potatoes, and pour into bowls.
Garnish with cheddar, chives, bacon.
** Cooking the bacon, grating cheese, chopping green onion while the soup is cooking all cut down on prep time.