Cheese and Beer Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped bacon
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped fine
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ medium onion, chopped fine
• ⅔ cup flour
• 1 stick butter
• 3 quart milk
• 1 pimento, drained and chopped
• 1 cup chicken bouillon
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1½ lbs cheddar cheese, grated
• ½ lbs provolone cheese, grated
• ½ cup beer
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and reserve.
2. In about ¾ tsp (2 oz) of the bacon drippings, sauté bell pepper, onion and celery.
3. Make a roux by mixing flour and butter over a warm burner of the stove.
4. When it starts to brown, add milk slowly, mixing all the while.
5. Add the mixture of sauted vegetables, bacon, pimento, bouillon, and garlic powder.
6. Heat over medium heat.
7. When the milk mixture reaches a medium temperature, add the cheeses and stir until cheeses liquefy.
8. Add beer to the soup.
9. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
10. Just before removing soup from stove, mix in parsley for color.
11. Add salt and pepper to taste.
12. Freezes well.