Soups and Stews   -   Beer Cheese Soup   by Rusty Nejdl

Description	A classic comfort food, great for cold winter days.
Ingredients	4 tablespoons of butter 1 or 2 pieces of thick cut bacon, diced 1 celery rib (finely chopped) 1/2 small onion (finely chopped) 4 baby carrots (finely chopped) 2 large garlic cloves (minced) 1 bottle of beer 2 cups of chicken broth 3/8 cup of flour 1 cup half and half 10 oz shredded sharp cheddar 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon chopped thyme Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions	Saute the bacon in a pan. Remove the bacon when done and leave the rendered fat. Saute onion, celery, and carrot until soft and translucent. Add Garlic. saute for no more than 1 minute. Add the butter and melt. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the beer and incorporate until all has been added. Slowly add the chicken stock and cream and stir until completely combined. Bring to a low simmer. Add the grated cheese a handful at a time until melted. Do not over heat or the cheese will separate. If worried, turn off the heat. Add seasonings and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the cooked bacon and diced chives or parsely.
Serves	4 to 6
Time to Make	45 minutes