Disney Recipe: Le Cellier Cheddar Soup!

Happy Hump Day!! Here's a warm recipe sure to please your family! :)

Since I am, well, "the Disney girl" to many friends and family (and students and coworkers.... and who am I fooling the guy at Stop and Shop and the lady at the bank... lol) when a Facebook friend came across the recipe for the infamous Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup from Le Cellier they immediately posted it to me and I filed it under "I must try this" and forgot about it for a while.  Other Disney sites have posted it and I think its even in my Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs recipe book.  But I used this one and it came out super tasty.  I made a loaf of Beer Bread to go with it since they had bread at the ready at Le Cellier when I dined here (although, unlike most LC lovers I have not eaten here since the upgrade to 2 table service credits because it was not really signature caliber in my book).  In any case, I followed the recipe except where noted...

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb. smoked bacon finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion cut into pieces 
• 1/2 cup finely sliced celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 12 oz. grated white cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup Moosehead Ale (or any darker ale, room temp)
• Salt and pepper to taste

*original recipe also called for 3 dashes of hot sauce, which I didn't have and didn't know what a dash was so I omitted- if you want to add it back in do so at the very end ;)

Directions:

1. Saute the bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until wilted but not browned.

2. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent and bacon has crisped. (I omitted the carrots since I don't really like cooked carrots but didn't omit them from this recipe for your sake.)

3. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. 

4.  Stir in milk and stock, a little at a time, blending well to ensure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, Worcestershire and beer (and hot sauce if you please). Season with salt and pepper to taste.