Bread Bowls WAS: Leeks Yes'm

Jill

Peel the stem of a head of broccoli, then chop the entire head into fairly small dice (between a half-inch and a quarter-inch dice, but there's no need to be precise).

In a wide skillet with a fair amount of depth to it, cook 6 pieces of bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble. Measure how much fat is left in the pan and add that same amount of flour, whisking, until the lumps are mostly gone. (When I say "measure" I mean that I just eyeball it and add about that same amount of flour.) While continuing to whisk, slowly add a pint of milk, pausing at intervals to whisk all the lumps out. (The mixture should come to a boil.) Lower the heat to medium-low and little by little, add 1 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and another pint of milk, alternating the milk and cheese additions. (The cheese should melt, but the mixture should NOT boil.) When all the milk and cheese have been added, add the broccoli and crumbled bacon. Cook over low heat until the broccoli has softened, about 10 minutes. If the soup is too thick, you can add more milk to thin it, or you can add beer.

Bob