Cheddar Beer Soup

This is one of my favorite "go to" soups on cold winter days -- it is easy to make and warms the spirit. I hope your family likes it as much as ours does!

Cheddar Beer Soup
Saute the following in 1 stick of butter:
1 cup diced carrots
1 cups diced celery
1 cup chopped onion.

Make a roux out of 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of flour. (combine the two and boil)

In your soup pot, combine:
1 gallon chicken stock
1.5 cans of beer
1 tsp garlic powder
Boil the mix and then stir in the boiling roux to thicken it. Then, add sauteed veggies.

Reduce heat to a simmer and slowly add in 1 1/2 pounds of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, some parsley flakes for color and a little salt and white pepper to taste.
This is where I add diced kielbasa or smoked beef sausage -- it makes it a little more interesting and rounds out the protein.

There is nothing like sitting with a warm bowl of this on a snowy evening...