(Casket) Cheesy Grit and Ale Soup

This recipe I got from Cooking Light magazine which Mama Hart so graciously subscribed for me. I love this magazine! The recipes are clear and concise, their Facebook videos are fun to watch and the articles are informative. I made this recipe on Saturday for dinner before Nate and I went off to watch a Halloween movie double-feature at a local park and it was the perfect fix for a chilly fall day.

(Casket) Cheesy Grit and Ale Soup

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 C 2% milk
12 oz brown ale
1 1/2 C vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tsp salt
*3/4 C grits (the original recipe calls for stone-ground)
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tsp cornstarch
1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
Popcorn, for serving

In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute onion, celery and garlic until softened. Stir in milk, beer, broth and season with salt. Using an immersion blender, liquefy the onion and celery (you'll thank me later). I did not liquefy my soup and had large chunks of onion and celery in my otherwise smooth and creamy soup. It wasn't the most ideal.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk in grits and stir occasionally until thickened.

In a bowl, toss together cheese, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. A 1/2 C at a time, stir in cheese making sure to allow the first batch to completely melt before adding more. After all the cheese is added in and melted, mix in mustard and Worcestershire sauce adjusting seasoning accordingly.

I choose to top my soup with popcorn because there is an adorable tavern-style restaurant Nate's grandma frequents that tops their beer-cheese soup with popcorn and it just adds the perfect little crunchy bite to the soup.

We were able to get about 8-10 C of soup out of this recipe and the flavors of the soup keep getting better as they sit in the fridge marinating.