1/2 c diced bacon
1 1/2 c beer
3 1/2 c. milk
1 c chopped carrot
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped celery
3/4 c. chopped green pepper
3 c chicken stock
2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, dry on paper towels.
Add vegetables to pan drippings, stir, cooking until onions are transparent. Add sauted vegetables to a stockpot with chicken stock and beer. Heat to boiling. Simmer until tender.
Scald milk over medium heat. (Milk is scalded when tiny bubbles appear in an unbroken border around the edge of the pan, it's about 110°F - heated, sugars released, but not boiling or burnt.)
Combine cheese with flour in a ziplock bag, tossing to combine. When milk is hot, add cheese-flour mixture to saucepan. Cook, stirring until cheese melts and mixture is thickened.
Add milk-cheese mixture to stockpot along with cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.
Submitted by Gretchen Grant
Contributed on: Tuesday May 11th, 2004 and modified on Tuesday February 28th, 2006