Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
6 to 8 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
olive oil
chicken broth or water
salt and pepper

Toppings
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon bits
Chopped green onions or chives

Directions
1) Cover bottom of a stock pot with olive oil and saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery for about 3 to 5 minutes or until celery is beginning to become tender.
2) Add cubed potatoes and toss to coat.
3) Cover vegetables with chicken broth, water or a mixture of both. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
4) Remove mixture from heat and strain veggies out of the pot with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl. Leave broth in pot.
5) Whisk cream cheese into broth until smooth. Return half of the veggies to the broth and mix until smooth. Using a potato masher works well for this step.
6) The soup should be a thick creamy consistency now. Return the remaining half of veggies to pot. Put in fridge for later use or reheat to serve.
7) Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese, bacon bits and green onions or chives.