Baked Potato Soup

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cups butter or margarine
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
6 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (secret is to use white pepper)
4 green onions, chopped and divided
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-1/4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
8 oz sour cream

Preliminaries: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Procedure: Wash potatoes and prick several times with a fork; bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp and set aside. Discard skins (I didn't because I like some pieces in my soup!)

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and is bubbly.

Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, two tablespoons green onion, 1/2 cup bacon, and one cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated, and stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if necessary, for desired consistency.

Presentation: Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.

Yield: About 10 servings