Candian Cheddar Cheese Soup

I guess the theme of the day is cheese. This one is a particular favorite of mine. It is featured at the Le Cellier restaurant in Epcot. It is a pretty pricey restaurant, so it's good to be able to make it at home!

What you'll need:

½ lb. bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces (for those of you who don't like pork, like myself, you can substitute with Turkey Bacon)
1 medium red onion, cut into ¼ inch pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into ¼ inch pieces
4 tbs. butter
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. chicken stock
4 c. milk
¾ lb. grated white cheddar cheese
1 tbs. Tabasco sauce
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ c. warm beer (darker ale beers are better to add the taste, I believe the restaurant itself uses "Moosehead" beer)
Chopped scallions or chives, for garnish

1. In a 4-5 quart Dutch oven (or large pot), cook the bacon, stirring over medium heat about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned
2. Add the red onion, celery, and butter, and saute until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes over medium heat. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the milk and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil after you add the milk.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until the cheese is melted and the soup is smooth. Stir in warm beer. If the soup is too thick, add some warm milk.
6. Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped scallions or chives.

Serves: 8 to 10 people, unless they are especially hungry :o)

Cheesy Potatoes

This one is courtesy of my Mom...

What you'll need:
1-can of Cream of Celery Soup
1-8 oz. of Sour Cream
1-bag of shredded cheddar cheese (the smaller size you can buy at the grocery store will be perfect)
1-2 lb. bag of frozen hashbrowns (not shredded, but squared)
1-Stick of Butter

Mix everything except the butter together in either 1 glass pan that is 11 x 7 x 2 in. or 2 that are 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 in.

You can save a little bit of cheese and put it right on the top of the potatoes

Once everything is mixed, heat the stick of butter in the microwave so it is completely melted. Pour the melted butter on top of the mixture, pouring it over the whole thing.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, cook for 1 hour, or until sides are browned
Note: If you have a newer model of oven, you may only need to cook it between 30-45 minutes.

Mmm...

Nothing like a good meal to make a bad day better. In honor of delicious food, I am creating this blog for anyone and everyone to share their favorite delicious recipes...