Potato Cheese Soup

6-8 potatoes
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
broccoli, chopped (optional)
carrots, chopped (optional)
1 stick butter
6 T flour
1 cup milk

Cook potatoes and onion (and broccoli and carrots, if desired) in 8 cups of water until soft. In a small pan melt butter. Add flour, then remove from heat and stir to make a paste. Add milk and cook until very thick. Add this mixture to the pot. Finally add and stir until well blended and heated through:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 t pepper
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t seasoned salt
chopped cooked meat such as ham or bacon (optional)