Potato Soup

Great soup recipe. I got it from the Neely's on Food Network and adapted it a little for myself. I thought the beer in it was odd at first but went with it anyway and it turned out very good! It has a depth of flavor to it!

1 lb. bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 T butter
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
1/3 flour
3 c. chicken broth
1 12 oz. can light beer
1 c. half and half
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
dash of Worshershire sauce
little more salt and pepper to taste
dash of cayenne pepper

Brown bacon in large pot. Remove bacon pieces and pour out all but a little bacon grease from pot. Add butter, then saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for a few minutes. Salt and pepper then sprinkle in flour. Combine flour well for about 1 minute. Add liquids: broth, beer, and half and half. Add potato cubes. Bring to a light boil for about 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. (I had to keep stirring mine every few minutes because it was starting to stick to the bottom.) Use an immersion blender to liquify the chunks to your desired consistency. Add in Cheddar cheese and stir until all is melted. Add Worshershire sauce, salt & pepper, and cayenne pepper. Serve into bowls then top with bacon pieces. You can also top using green onions and some more cheese if you want.