Cheesy Potato Beer Soup

I make a lot of soup during the winter. Here is one of my favorites. Like many of my other recipes, it was originally torn from a magazine but I've adapted it in so many ways that it bears no resemblance to the original.

Cheesy Potato Beer Soup

                                    2 T butter                                                              2 large potatoes, chopped
                                   1/4 c. ham, diced                                                  2 c. broth
                                    1/2 c. onion, chopped                                        12 oz. beer
                                    1 c. carrots, chopped                                          1 c. grated cheese
                                    2 celery ribs, chopped


Start by chopping ham, onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes.

Heat some butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, ham and carrots. I let these cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the celery and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently. The onion should be translucent and the ham and vegetables should have some browning. Then add the broth and the potatoes, cover, and let cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes test done.

Add beer.  I've learned an important lesson- only use beer you like. Someone brought us some beer that Steve didn't like, so I figured I'd use it up in this soup. Well, it turns out that if you add beer you don't like, you'll end up with soup you don't like. I'm not a beer drinker, but I do like Steve's favorite- Shiner Bock. It's very tasty in this soup.

Remove the soup from the heat and stir in all but a few tablespoons of the cheese. I used a 4 cheese blend, but anything will work. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the reserved cheese.