Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup

Ingredients :

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 14-ounce smoked sausage chopped into ½-inch pieces
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
• 4 cups (2 15oz cans) chicken broth
• 3½ cups (about 2 large) russet potatoes peeled and diced medium
• 2 celery ribs diced small
• 5 tablespoons (71g) butter salted or unsalted is fine
• ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon (44g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk (any fat content)
• 6 ounces (about 1½ cups) shredded cheddar cheese (plus extra for garnish)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• Sour cream (optional, for garnish)

Instructions : 

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced sausage, and cook until lightly browned.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add onions to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often for about 5 minutes, until the onions have just begun to turn translucent around the edges.
4. Add garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 1 minute.
5. Add chicken broth, potatoes, and celery to the pot. Bring to a simmer and then cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes can be easily smashed against the side of the pot with a fork.
6. Use a potato masher or spatula to roughly smash about half of the potatoes in the pot.
7. In a medium pot, over medium heat, melt butter and then add flour. Cook, whisking continuously, until flour begins to turn lightly golden, about 1 minute.
8. Slowly drizzle in milk, whisking constantly as you go to whisk out any lumps. Cook, whisking continuously, until mixture is thickened and bubbly around the edges, about 5 minutes.
9. Remove pot from heat and slowly whisk in cheese, a handful at a time. Once all your cheese is melted, stir the cheese sauce into the soup. Add pepper. Taste the soup and add salt if needed.
10. Add the sausage back to the pot and stir everything together.
11. Serve, top with sour cream and more cheese if desired, and enjoy!