Wisconsin Beer and Cheddar Soup

They don't call us "Cheeseheads" fer nuttin'.  And there's good reason that many men in Wisconsin pat their beer guts with pride...years of hard work go into those!

This soup is a Wisconsin favorite, and there are as many ways to make it here in the Dairy State as there are ways to make chili.  One of my displaced Cheesehead friends requested a recipe for Beer and Cheese Soup, so after careful research of numerous recipes and some tricks of my own, here's mine.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
3 Carrots
4 stalks Celery
3 medium Onions
1 T minced Garlic
2 cups Beef Broth
16 oz. Beer of a lighter style (Lager, Pilsner, Light, etc...not dark or heavy or extremely hoppy) + a little extra to drink and to add to taste at the end
1/3 cup Self Rising Cornmeal Mix (or flour, but I like the Cornmeal mix better for this)
1 1/2 T Dijon Mustard (I used Door County Wine Mustard)
2 T Worcestershire

Simmering vegetables, butter, broth

1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Basil

3 cups Milk
1 cup Buttermilk


16 oz. Super Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese (24 oz if you really want it cheesy)

Salt and Pepper to taste

4-5 strips of bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled finely.

Start by dicing up the carrots, celery and onion.  Cook on medium low heat with the butter and garlic in a covered skillet til the vegetables are soft.  Add the beef broth, simmer for a couple more minutes, then remove and transfer to a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.

Blend veggies, butter and broth til smooth.

Transfer into a soup kettle at medium-low.  LOW heat is the secret to this recipe from here on out...you NEVER want it to boil, EVER.  Add the cornmeal mix (or flour) and simmer/stir until it thickens.  Add the beer and the rest of the seasonings, simmer/stir for a few minutes, then add the milk and buttermilk, stirring constantly.  Again, NEVER let this boil...if it starts to, immediately reduce heat and keep stirring, for about 10-15 minutes.  Turn heat to low and add shredded cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly, til all cheese is in and melted.  Salt and pepper to taste, add a little more beer if you like, to taste.  Serve with crumbled bacon sprinkled on top.

Add cheddar a little at a time, stirring constantly.

Additional tip:  If you want your soup really smooth, use an immersion blender at the end to finely puree everything.

Now get out your foam Cheesehead, grab a DVD of the 2011 Super Bowl with the Packers vs. the Steelers, crack a cold one and enjoy a bowl of soup, Sconnie!