Baked Potato Soup with Cheddar and Bacon

Ingredients

 * 4         large potatoes
 * 2/3 cup   butter
 * 2/3 cup   flour
 * 1 1/2 qt  milk
 * 4         green onions, chopped
 * 1 cup     sour cream
 * 2 cups    crisp-cooked, crumbled bacon
 * 5 ounces  Cheddar cheese, grated
 * salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat oven to 350F degrees and bake the potatoes until fork tender. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Slowly blend in flour with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended. Gradually add milk to the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in salt and pepper and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly.

Cut potatoes in half, scoop out the meat and set aside. Chop half the potato peels and discard the remainder. When milk mixture is very hot, whisk in potato. Add green onion and potato peels. Whisk well, add sour cream and crumbled bacon. Heat thoroughly. Add cheese a little at a time until all is melted in.