Smokey, Cheesy Ham and Tater soup

Step 1

Boil ham bone in 4 c of water for a couple of hours. Remove bone and any ham that is left on it, you may want to strain your broth.

Step 2

Dice and carrots into med. size cubes, dice onions and celery and mince garlic. Place in large soup pot with 1/4 c of olive oil and saute on low till veggies are tender.

Step 3

Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. In another pot boil until fork tender and drain. In the pot you are sauting the veggies, add a little more oil if necessary and about 1/2 c of flour. Mix together till flour is absorbed. Add canned milk and mix to remove any lumps. Add ham broth. Simmer for about 10 min. Add drained potatoes.

Step 4

Remove from heat and add grated cheese and and thyme. Stir constantly till melted. If cheese starts to become stringy or lumpy add a few sprinkles of lemon juice.