Crock Pot Beer Cheese Soup

Well, this is it, folks! The last recipe of Season 3! Thanks for another fun season, I so enjoy chatting with you all about crock pots and recipes :) This week's recipe is from the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the Crock of the Week contest! Congratulations to Bernadine Mezera from Boscobel! You all need to make her recipe, it's delicious! Crock Pot Beer Cheese Soup! When this recipe was randomly chosen as the winner, I admit that I was a bit afraid because I wasn't confident that a great beer cheese soup could be made by me, but I was so wrong! This is restaurant quality beer cheese soup! Now, neither my husband or I are beer drinkers, but he does like the occasional Blue Moon, which is a wheat beer. So I went with that, since I knew there would be extra to drink up. It worked well, but you can use any beer of your choice, but I suggest not getting a cheap one or using a light beer.  Also, get a block of cheddar and shred it up instead of buying the already shredded stuff, which is more dry and has a chemical on it to keep it from sticking together. Go for the block cheese here. 

CROCK POT BEER CHEESE SOUP

(FROM BERNADINE MEZERA)

32 OUNCES CHICKEN BROTH

16 OUNCES BEER

1/2 CUP CORNSTARCH

1/4 cup BUTTER, MELTED

1 CUP CARROT, DICED VERY THIN

1 CUP WHITE ONION DICED VERY FINE

4 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE

8 OUNCES SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, GRATED

SEA SALT, ABOUT 1 TEASPOON

BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

ADD CHICKEN BROTH AND BEER TO SLOW COOKER, AND WHISK IN CORNSTARCH AND BUTTER UNTIL SMOOTH.

ADD CARROTS AND ONIONS TO SLOW COOKER.

COOK ON LOW FOR 8 HOURS.

ADD CREAM CHEESE AND SHREDDED CHEDDAR, AND SEASON WITH SALT, ABOUT A TEASPOON IS WHAT I USED, ADD GRADUALLY TO YOUR TASTE.  ADD PEPPER TO TASTE.

LADLE INTO BOWLS, AND SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

German Dinner in the Crock Pot

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 12-23-13

This week’s recipe is a unique one! I came across this recipe a year or so ago, and having a lot of German heritage in me, thought I should make it! Don’t dismiss it before trying it, it really was delicious. And there is beer in it, so that can’t be bad! Although, if you are one of those people who absolutely cannot stand sauerkraut, then this recipe isn’t for you, haha!

German Dinner in the Crock Pot

2 rings smoked sausage, sliced into 3 inch pieces
2 pounds sauerkraut
8 to 12 red potatoes, washed and halved or quartered depending on the size
1 onion sliced
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 bottles (12 ounces) beer
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

Lay the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Then add onion, apples, bacon, and sauerkraut. Place sausage on top. pour in beer, brown sugar, and caraway seeds.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3.