I enjoy cooking soups like this in my Lodge ceramic Dutch oven, but you can cook it in any soup pot
Ingredients
4Tablespoonsunsalted butter
1carrotfinely chopped
1large yellow oniondiced
2clovespeeled garlicminced
1/4cupall-purpose flour
1cupmilk
1cuphalf-and-half
16ouncesbeer(dark beer is best)
1TablespoonDijon mustard
10ouncessharp cheddarshredded
Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic; saute 10 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes until the flour turns golden brown.
Combine the milk and half-and-half. Slowly pour into flour mixture, whisking constantly until combined.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the beer and mustard. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently until foam subsides.
Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese a handful at a time. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
This is a very slightly modified version of the "30 Minute German Beer Cheese Soup" recipe, which Alexander first had when he was attending Mines in Golden, Colorado. It's rich and delicious, and reminds me a lot of our favorite Christmas break tradition, "Yodler's Cheese Fondue."I made this in the attached photo with Shiner Bock Beer, which is currently my favorite and made more affordable by the fact we can buy discounted cases of it at our local Costco. Alexander reports it's even better with darker beers, so I'm going to be experimenting with some other flavors.I served this last night with French Countryside Bread, made in our bread machine, and this proved to be a superb combination.A wonderful dish to enjoy together on a cold winter's night!