Beer and Cheese... Ain't nothing wrong with that!

It's a cold rainy day here in the cakalacky, so comforting soup for lunch sounded just perfect to me. It's good to be back home and settling back to the day to day. I stocked up on a few different fresh Amish cheeses while in Ohio last week. O.k I actually bought a LOT of cheeses and herbs,snacks and all  at wholesale prices... yahoo!

Beer and Cheese are like Peanut Butter and Jelly to me, so this combo with some flavorful additions to make it even better.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Unsalted butter

6 Tablespoons All purpose flour 

1 large shallot, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

1 orange bell pepper

2 Cups Chicken Stock

6oz. Beer of your choice

6oz. Sharp cheddar cheese

A few dashes of Worcester sauce

Hot sauce to taste

1 Tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard

Melt butter over medium heat in a pot. Add in diced carrots, shallots and bell peppers. Toss in a big pinch of salt.

Sauté until carrots are softened. Then sprinkle flour over and stir for a couple minutes to create a roux. A roux is a thickening agent that will make the soup nice and velvety.

Let the Roux cook until it coats the vegetables and looks like a light paste.

Slowly add in chicken stock and stir or wish to reduce the possibility for lumps.

Add in Beer, and drink the other half that you did not use... No judgement here! 

Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. And stir in Dijon, hot sauce and Worcester sauce. Then whisk and let it bubble for 5 more minutes.

Now for the best part. Add in all that glorious cheesy goodness and whisk into warm liquid so it melts evenly. Pour into a bowl and top with more cheese or pretzels or croutons. The sky is the limit on toppings! Cozy up with a cup of it and stay warm:) 

Happy Cooking!