½ cup onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh mushrooms pieces
½ stick butter
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. red pepper
½ tsp. mustard powder
1 (12 oz.) can beer, lager or ale
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream (half & half)
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, cut in cubes
In a large pot, sauté onion, and garlic in butter. Cook until onions are clear. Add mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Mix together the spices, salt and flour. Add to sautéed vegetables and cook for 3 minutes (do not brown). Add beer, chicken broth and half & half. Whisk until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add cubed cheese and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until hot and bubbly. Serve hot with garlic croutons.
Note: About 10 minutes before serving, place soup bowls in the sink and cover with extremely hot water. Remove bowls just before serving time. This gets the bowl nice and hot and will keep your soup hot for a longer period of time.