Cheesy potato soup

I have this ability to make anything stodgy. I make stodgy toast, stodgy pesto, even stodgy soup. I love stodge. When it’s all wintery outside, this soup seems appropriate.

You will need
3 large potatoes
About 700 ml of stock (I use chicken. Veg is good too)
1/2 C grated cheddar, packed
4 T butter
1 T parmesan, grated
3 leeks
1/2 C cream
1/2 t garlic, crushed
Salt, just a pinch
Black pepper to taste

For the croutons:
4 slices stale bread
2 T parmesan
4 T olive oil
1 t mixed dried herbs
1/2 t garlic
black pepper

“Garnish”
Half a pack of streaky bacon, fried ’til super cispy, and broken into bits
2 T parmesan grated

Clean and trim the leeks. Slice thinly. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes (eighths are fine). Melt 2T butter and add the leeks, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Fry until the leeks are softish. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the potatoes and some stock, so that potatoes are just covered (corners sticking out is ok). Cover and adjust heat to a high simmer. When potatoes are cooked (test by poking them with a knife), remove from the heat.
Process somehow (using a handheld stick blender is easiest, as you can use it right in the pot) until smooth. The soup might be a bit think, so add some more stock (if you don’t have any left, use half milk, half water).
Leave aside in the covered pot.

Preheat oven to grill, max heat. Slice the crusts off the bread, and cut bread into cubes. In a shallow dish, mix the oil, herbs, parmesan, and pepper. Dip the two faces of the bread squares into the oil. rub them around to get them coated in the good bits. Spread them onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Watch them closely. Turn when golden. When golden on both sides, remove and set aside.

Place the soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the grated cheese, 1 T of parmesan, and 2 T butter. Heat through. Adjust seasoning and cheese. Ladle into bowls. sprinkle with a generous helping of bacon bits, croutons, and more parmesan.