from the book of wonder, Betty Crocker's New Cookbook.
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 10 minutes
makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each
2 tbs margarine or butter
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup) (ed. note... i always put in more onions)
1 med stalk celery (ed. note, part II: and tend to skip the celery)
2 tbs all-purpose flour (this is important, lest you end up cheese broth instead of soup)
1/4 teas pepper
1/4 teas ground pepper (skippable if you don't have it on hand, but it adds a nice bite)
1 cup milk
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed chicken broth (veggie can substitute, of course)
2 cupe shredded cheddar cheese (resist the temptation to go overboard on this. a little more doesn't hurt, but too much, and soup will be too rich to eat)
paprika, if desired (a definite, if you have it on hand)
if you're me, you chop a bit of garlic into this, too
1. melt marg/butter into a 2-quart saucepan over med heat. cook onion and garlic about 2 minutes, until tender.
2. stir in flour, pepper, and mustard. stir in milk and broth. heat to boiling over med heat, stirring constantly. boil and stir 1 one minute.
3. stir in cheese. heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until cheese is melted. stir in paprika.
warning, this is rich stuff. yummy, but rich. don't serve with more than a salad and maybe rolls if you want to move the rest of the night.