Creamy Cheese and Beer Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients
8oz Graziers Raw Milk Medium Cheddar
4oz Sierra Jack Smokehouse or Organic Smokehouse Jack
4 ounces Graziers Salted Butter
8 ounces bratwurst or other sausage
12 ounce bottle of IPA or other craft beer
4 medium size potatoes
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons crushed white pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or oregano
Pretzels to serve with or crusty bread with butter

Directions
Sauté garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and thyme with half of butter for 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Toss in the remaining butter and sprinkle in flour.  Mix with wooden spoon for a couple minutes.

Add beer and heat for a few minutes to cook out the alcohol. Add chicken broth, cream, and salt then simmer. Shred the two cheeses and whisk into broth and cream. Continue simmering. Sauce should thicken slightly.

While this is cooking, peel and dice potatoes. Boil the potatoes al dente–not fully cooked. Strain the potatoes into separate large bowl. Mash some of the potatoes but not too much. You will want 3/4 of the potatoes whole.

Add potatoes to the soup and stir for a couple minutes.  Garnish with herbs, pretzels, and cheese.