Creamy Potato Soup

1 onion, chopped (my family dislikes onion, so I substituted onion powder for flavor)
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
1/4 cup chopped carrots (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
5 tablespoons margarine
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk (or evaporated milk)
3 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 pinch ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot, saute onion, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley in butter until soft but not browned. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add broth slowly, stirring as you add.

Add milk, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, allspice, celery seed, thyme, seasoning salt, and chicken bouillon. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes. During cooking, break up potatoes with the back of a spoon. Serve warm with cheese as garnish.

Audrey's little note: my college roomate Heidi used to make a soup similar to this, and I was craving it the other day and ran across this recipe. All but one of my family gobbled it up...super good with biscuits!

adapted from: Best-Potato-Recipes.com