Beer Cheese Soup

One of the benefits of reduced tobacco smoking is having your taste buds and sense of smell come back. I've been finding myself bringing back an old hobby--making up recipes. Eating the same things I used to gets boring these days and while many people gain weight when they stop smoking, I have chronic pain issues that tend to ruin my appetite. Often the "I hurt too bad to mess with food" won out over "I just thought of something that sounds good--I should go make that." That's changed to an extent these days. I don't know why for certain, but it could be that the increased energy I have means I can pull off the ideas my brain cooks up before my back and neck decide I'm done messing around in the kitchen before my food's ready.

I started wanting to make Beer Cheese Soup after tasting a local restaurant chain's version. I liked it, but thought I could come up with a better one, so here's mine--it's sort of all my own. I started with a Potato Soup recipe I found in one of those church fundraiser cookbooks left from my Grandmother's house--my Aunt got most of Grandma's cookbooks, but she missed the one that Grandma actually cooked from, and that's where the recipe started. The rest is me altering it to come up with a copy of a soup the restaurant served. Of course you can alter it--and I have, even made it with leftover brats once and used a little Guiness stout for the beer and it was different but also really good.




Beer Cheese Soup

2-3 raw potatoes, diced (at least one should be a baking potato--the others can be either baking or a more waxy potato, whichever you prefer)
1 qt. chicken stock, divided (veggie stock is fine if you want a vegetarian soup)
4-5 slices good bacon
1/2 to 1 medium onion
1-2 cloves garlic, fresh, minced or mashed
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot or several baby carrots, diced (optional)
1-2 c. diced cooked ham
Other meats to taste, optional
1 c. beer, usually a lager works best
2 c half and half
Whole or 2% milk. approx. 1 qt.
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
up to 1 c. shredded cheese, any kind--I use whatever's on hand
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube potatoes and put into a big soup pot. Pour chicken broth over the potatoes to cover. Boil til just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Chop bacon into 1-inch cubes (scissors work great on this job) and cook til done and fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave bacon fat in the pan.

Heat bacon fat til frying hot, then add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute until onions are transparent.

Return bacon and potatoes to pot, then add ham and other meats, the beer and the rest of the chicken stock and heat to a simmer. Add half and half and bring back to simmering.

Add Velveeta cheese bit by bit, allowing each adddition to melt before adding more. Add other cheeses, being careful not to add too much as it will break the soup and ruin your yummies.

Bring all to a simmer and serve. This is awesome with fresh-baked breads, especially multi-grain or whole grains.

Makes about a gallon of soup. It freezes very well, but good luck having enough left to freeze--I seldom manage to.