Beer Mac n Cheese Soup

All of the flavours of mac n cheese in the form of a hot bowl of soup!

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
6 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch slices (or 1 tablespoon oil)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour (rice flour for gluten free)
2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 (~12 ounce) bottle/can beer (gluten free for gluten free)
1 pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the grease in the pan.

2. Add the onion, carrot, celery and jalapeno and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

4. Mix in the flour and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the broth, beer, nutmeg, mustard, worcestershire sauce, bacon and macaroni and let cook until the macaroni is al-dente, about 7-8 minutes.

6. Add the cream and cheese and cook until the cheese has melted without bringing it back to a boil.
Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.