Jalapeño Bacon Beer Cheese Soup

I first tried beer cheese soup last fall and I was immediately in love with it! If you ever see it at Whole Foods, please buy a cup! Yummmm..... Anyway my husband and I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a go. You can always leave out the jalapeños and bacon if you want. Also feel free to experiment with different cheeses. 

1/2 a large diced sweet onion

2 diced celery stalk

2 diced jalapeño 

5-6 chopped cooked bacon 

1 teaspoon minced garlic 

2 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup flour 

12 ounce ale beer

2 cups chicken broth 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire 

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Thyme (optional) 

Cook bacon till crispy, set aside. Drain grease into glass jar. 

In pot, sauté onions, celery, and jalapeños with 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. About 10 minutes.

Add butter and garlic. Sauté till bubbly, about 5 more minutes.

Sprinkle in flour and stir until golden brown. 

Add ale and broth. Mix well until everything is deglazed from pot. 

Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add mustard, Worcestershire, heavy cream, and cheese. Stir, but do not boil.

Sprinkle with S & P and cayenne if you want.

Serve with some crusty bread. Enjoy! 

Note: it will thicken as it cools if you prefer it that way.

If you like the flavor of thyme, add 1/2 teaspoon with the butter and garlic.