I got the majority of this recipe from Allrecipes.com and have tweaked it over time. It’s been shared with my BFF in Cali, my family, and a ton of my neighbors since it’s always a big hit.The star of the show here is of course, the cheese. So invest in the good kind from the cheese counter instead of that pre-shredded swill in the cheese aisle. My favorite cheese to use in this is Welsh cheddar because it has salty calcium deposits in it that just give it an extra punch! Pair it with fresh pretzel rolls for dipping. And don’t worry, this soup is so filling, you won’t need anything else!

Ingredients:

1 russet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 cups diced carrots

1 1/2 cups diced celery

I leave out onions because I HATE mother fucking onions. But if you like them, throw in a cup of diced, revolting onions.

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. salt – I like to use pink Himalayan

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 cups veggie broth. (You can use chicken broth but I prefer to keep this vegetarian.)

One can or bottle of beer. You can get fancy but I prefer plain old Coors Original because I don’t want something hoppy or flavorful competing with the cheese

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

4 cups either milk or half and half. (I use 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of half and half so it’s not an overdose of cream.)

6 cups shredded cheese

1 T. dijon mustard

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dry mustard

popcorn and smoked paprika, just for garnishment

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together potatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, and the godforsaken onions if you chose to use those disgusting bastards. Stir in hot pepper sauce, ground cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Pour in veggie broth and beer. Simmer about 12 minutes until veggies are tender and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once melted, stir in flour rapidly with a wire whisk and continually whisk until the butter is a light brown color. (About 3-4 minutes.) Gradually stir in milk/cream, whisking to prevent scorching, until thickened. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the cheese. Keep warm.

Pour the beer/veggie mixture into the cheese mixture. Stir in dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve with popped popcorn on top covered in a sprinkle of paprika.

Enjoy! This is a great recipe for Fall or Winter and is an awesome item to have on the menu if you are doing an Oktoberfest party.