Potato Bacon Soup

This is a favorite here in the Harseverse.  It's a meal-in-a-bowl!  Warm and delicious, perfect for those chilly winter nights.  Leftovers are even more yummy reheated next day.  Serve with garlic bread or crusty rolls.

Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
6 slices bacon, chopped, plus extra slices for garnish
5-6 large potatoes, cubed
1 liter chicken or vegetable stock
4 stalks celery, sliced
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup chopped chives
freshly ground pepper

Method
Cook chopped bacon and onion together on medium high heat for 5 minutes.  Add potatoes, celery, and stock and bring to a boil.  You want enough stock to come up within an inch of covering the vegetables, but not to cover them entirely because you will be adding milk later.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  While soup is simmering, cook extra bacon slices until crisp, chop them and set aside for garnishing.  Once vegetables are tender, roughly mash with a potato masher.  Don't completely obliterate them - you want some chunkiness.  Add milk (add more for thinner soup, less for thicker soup) and the cheese and half of the chives.  Serve with the remaining chives, crispy bacon, shredded cheese and pepper for toppings.