Spicy Mac-n-Cheesy Soup

Saw the idea for this in an issue of Cuisine at Home and decided to put a spicy twist on it.  A nice thick slice of toast on the side and you have a warm and creamy belly full of comfort food goodness.

Spicy Mac-n-Cheesy Soup

1-1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
2 tbsp butter
1/3 of an onion, minced
1 stalk of celery, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp dried mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack Pepper cheese, shredded
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3-4 dashes of Tabasco
salt to taste
small pretzels, break to garnish

Prepare macaroni according to box directions.  Drain and set aside.

Saute onion and celery in butter over medium heat until they're soft (about 5 minutes).

Stir in flour to coat the veggies and cook, stirring, for about a minute.

Deglaze the pan and veggies with wine until mixture glops up.

Whisk in chicken broth, mustard, cayenne, and nutmeg.  Simmer until it thickens up.  Pour milk into the pan in a slow steady stream, whisking all the while.  Do NOT allow mixture to boil or it will become grainy.

Whisk cheese in, about a cup at a time, allow to melt between additions.  Stir in cooked macaroni, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt.

Remove from heat, serve up and garnish with pretzel pieces.

NOTES

Adjust the cheese to suit your tastes.  If you prefer more cheddary, then use less (or no) Monterrey Jack.  To kick it up, add some more Tabasco.

To make it an even heartier soup, brown up some of your favorite ground meat and add to the mix.

To make it a pure vegetarian dish, use veggie broth in lieu of chicken broth.

If you prefer, you could use your favorite beer to deglaze the floured veggies.