Pub Soup

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

You can use a Crock-Pot or make this soup on the stove.

## Ingredients

* 3 cans ***(10.5-ounce each)*** condensed cheddar cheese soup ***(I used Campbell's)***
* 1 can of domestic beer
* ⅓ cup real bacon bits ***(make your own or buy them at the store—I used Hormel real bacon bits from the store)***
* 8-ounce package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 teaspoon jarred fresh garlic ***(or 1 clove, peeled and crushed)***
* 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper ***(or 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper—I used Lawry's Seasoned Pepper)***
* 3 Tablespoons sour cream to float on top of the soup bowls
* 3 Tablespoons real bacon bits to sprinkle on top of sour cream to garnish
* 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley to sprinkle on the bacon bits to garnish

## Directions

* If you are using a slow cooker to make this soup, spray the inside of the crock with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. If you are using a large saucepan and making the soup on the stovetop, there's no need to spray the inside.
* Open the soup cans and empty them in the crock or the saucepan.

**Hannah's 1st Note: Save one soup can to use as a measuring cup. Don't bother to wash it out because all it contained was the same soup that's already in your Crock-Pout or saucepan.**

* Open the can or bottle of beer and fill the empty soup can. Pour it into the crock or the saucepan.
* Add the third-cup of bacon bits to the crock or the saucepan.
* Add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the crock or the saucepan.
* Add the teaspoon of jarred garlic.
* Add the teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper.
* Stir or whisk the contents of the crock or the saucepan until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cold soup is smooth.
* Turn the slow cooker on LOW and walk away. Since you worked so hard, you can finish the can or bottle of beer if you like.
* Heat the Pub Soup for approximately 2 hours in the Crock-Pot or until the soup is piping hot.
* If you're using a saucepan for your soup, turn the burner on MEDIUM and heat your soup, stirring every minute or so. This will keep your Pub Soup from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Heat until the soup is piping hot.
* Once your soup is the proper temperature stir it again to check for thickness. It should be approximately as thick as cream of mushroom soup or potato soup.
* If your soup is too thick, add a little heavy cream to thin it slightly. If your soup is too thin, add a little more shredded cheddar cheese and check for thickness again once the cheese has melted and you've stirred the crock or the saucepan again.
* Ladle the Pub Soup into soup bowls or large mugs, spoon a dollop of sour cream in the middle of the bowl, sprinkle the top of the sour cream with bacon bits, add the finely chopped parsley on top of the bacon bits, and serve.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: When I eat this delicious soup, I always stir the garnishes in before I take my first spoonful.**

**Sally's Note: At the Lake Eden Inn, we always serve bowls of Pub Soup with warm French rolls and soft salted butter, or a warm baguette with soft, salted butter. When Dick serves it at the bar, he teams it up with assorted salted crackers in a napkin-lined basket.**

**Hannah's 3rd Note: Be sure to tell your guests that it's perfectly acceptable to dunk their bread in the soup if they're so inclined.**