Dinner: Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

1/2 lb. Bacon (About 8 slices)
4 medium Jalapeno Peppers, diced
4 tbsp. Butter
3 cups Chicken Broth
1 tsp. Dried Thyme
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Celery Seed
1/2 tsp. Cumin
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
8 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions

1. Slice or cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Place into a pan and cook until all pieces are crisp.
2. Remove bacon from pan while reserving as much bacon grease as possible in the pan. Place bacon on paper towels to dry and become crisp.
3. Dice 4 jalapeno peppers. Slice in half, then slice the half into half and dice appropriately. If you aren’t much of a heat seeker, you might want to remove the seeds before doing this.
4. Season and sautee the jalapenos in the bacon fat until lightly browned and aromatic.
5. Remove jalapenos and preserve as much bacon fat as you can in the pan. Set jalapenos on bacon to dry off.
6. In a food processor, process 8 oz. cheddar cheese using the grating attachment. Set aside. If you don’t have a food processor that can do it, feel free to check out the one I use – it’s awesome!
7. In a new pot, add bacon fat, butter, broth, and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for at least 15 minutes.
8. Using an immersion blender, blend together all ingredients well. You want the fat and broth to emulsify so that they don’t separate. Once you’ve done this, add cream and cheese and season again with salt and pepper.
9. Add bacon and jalapeno back into the soup and stir well. Let simmer for 5 minutes before serving.