Baked Potato Soup

I first made baked potato soup for my dear friend Sarah's birthday in January. I didn't have the time to talk to my mom about it, because I knew there was a recipe she loved and I wanted to use it. So I found some recipe that was doable and it turned out very well. But this time, I wanted my mom's recipe, just so I could compare it with other ones I saw on-line. It turned out so well, it's very yummy and worth the time it takes to make.

4 large potatoes (2 3/4 lb.)
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 c. milk
1 c. sour crean
1/4 c. green onions
10 strips of bacon, crumbled
1 c. shredded cheese
*optional garnishes:
-corn
-shredded carrot
-blanched broccoli

1. Bake potatoes at 350-degrees for an hour to and hour and fifteen minutes, or until soft.
2. While potatoes bake, cook bacon until dark and crispy (if it's chewy in the soup, it's a bit of a turn-off).
3. Cool potatoes completely once out of the oven, then peel and cube.
4. In a large pot, combine butter, flour, salt and pepper until smooth.
5. Add in milk; boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat.
6. Add in sour cream and potatoes.

*When I add in the sour cream and potatoes, I add in the other toppings such as green onion, bacon, cheese, corn. Since it's just the two of us, I figured why not get everything mixed up really well?