Cheddar Ham Soup

It's like a healthier version of mac and cheese, with veggies instead of noodles!

2 C potatoes, diced (and peeled if you'd like)
1 1/2 or 2 C water (or broth)
1/2 c sliced carrot (I made coins and cut bigger ones in half)
onion (I used dried minced onion with broth mixture and frozen chopped onion in cheese sauce)

1/4 c butter, cubed
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 or 2 C milk (I used skim with some heavy cream, recipe says 2%)
1/2 t. salt or much less (depends on if you use salty ham and stock or not)
1/4 t. pepper
2 C cheddar cheese
1.5 C fully cooked ham, cubed
1 C frozen peas (peas and carrots worked fine for us)

noodles, optional (it tastes like mac and cheese, so adding noodles can make it more appealing to kids)

1. In a saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer covered, about 10-15 minutes (depending on size of chunks)

2. In another saucepan melt butter with some more onion for a few minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Add milk, pepper, and salt to taste. Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Add to undrained potato mixed. Ham and peas can be added to either mixture, if one is finished before the other.