Here’s my favorite Disney copycat recipe – the delicious Canadian cheese soup from Le Cellier in Epcot!
I finally got around to photographing my version of Epcot’s beloved Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup today!
I’ve made this recipe MANY times over the years at but never got around to writing it down and taking pics for the blog.
This soup is one of our annual must-haves at Epcot Food & Wine Festival.I think my husband would make the trip to Florida just to eat this soup.
Here he is getting ready to dive in.
If you’ve never had this soup, it’s made with cheese, bacon, and a splash of beer (Canadian lager when you’re in Epcot).
It’s got incredible flavor and is a cult favorite at Food & Wine. It’s usually served with a pretzel roll as pictured above. I try to do the same at home but couldn’t find them this go around.
And you’ll be surprised at the very non-Canadian secret ingredient! I’ve made it without and I swear it is critical to making it taste right.
Here’s how to recreate this Disney copycat recipe at home.
Canadian cheddar cheese soup with bacon and beer inspired by the famous Le Cellier restaurant in Epcot's Canada pavilion!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Ingredients
6 oz bacon (6 slices of regular cut bacon)
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 up)
1 large celery rib, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole recommended)
8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup room temp lager beer
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped chives (or scallions) for garnish if desired
Instructions
1. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces. This is much easier if the bacon is very cold or even a bit frozen.
2. Cook bacon is a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion, celery, and butter and saute for 4-5 minutes or until onion is softened.
4. Add flour and saute for a few minutes over medium heat. Whisk in chicken stock and milk. Stir consistently until you see the first bubbles forming. Turn down to low heat and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and beer. If you want a smoother texture you can use an immersion blender (I like the texture the way it is).
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with chopped scallions or chives.
Keep the heat very low, and make sure the cheese is one of the last things added to the soup. Whisk very quickly but add the cheese in gradually, one cup at a time, to make sure it melts before adding the next cup.
If your soup doesn't have the desired melted cheese consistency, you can try blending it with an immersion blender or transferring it to a regular blender. This can help break down any clumps and incorporate the cheese more evenly.
Cheese can curdle when added to soup due to the high temperatures and acidity in the soup. The proteins in cheese are sensitive to heat and acid, causing them to separate and form curds.
Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.
Your soup may become grainy if the cheese or dairy curdles. With a recipe like the one that follow you shouldn't have trouble because the cheese is added as a finishing component, off heat. But to avoid “breaking” the dairy while reheating (or with other dairy-rich soups), take it low and slow.
Place 1 cup chicken broth, carrot, onion and celery in 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until onion is softened. Add 2 cups chicken broth, milk, cheese, and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.
What is the best cheese to melt in soup? I like to use mild or sharp cheddar, but you can use monterey jack, pepper jack, or a mix of several. If you really want to make it luscious, you could even stir in some goat cheese or gruyere.
If you are adding cold cheese to the soup, adding too much at once will lower the temperature of the soup. Add the cheese a little at a time, stirring until each batch is melted while keeping the pot at a bare simmer.
Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.
Melt the cheese slowly. Adding melted cheese to hot milk can cause the milk to curdle. Instead, melt the cheese in a separate bowl over low heat or in the microwave. Once the cheese is melted, add it to the milk slowly, stirring constantly.
When it's time to add the cheese into the soup, sprinkle it in in batches, stirring until each batch is melted before adding the next batch vs dumping it all in at once. This will ensure there are no clumps in the final soup.
Unlike other cheddars, Canadian cheddars have a smoother, creamier texture as well proffer the right balance of flavour and sharpness. Depending on their age, the flavour, texture and aroma of cheddar cheese can vary.
It's available in every supermarket in the UK. There are other “American” cheeses for sale there, as well. You can find Monterey Jack, for example, but it will be made in the UK, almost certainly. Wetherspoons pubs can clearly get it from somewhere as you can choose to have this or Cheddar cheese on a burger.
From a vast experience with US cheddar, especially that of upstate NY and Vermont, so-called hoop cheeses of the Southeast and Texas, plus only a slight experience with UK cheeses in general, I would say that the primary difference lies in an overall preference for mild young smooth cheeses in the US and strong aged ...
Fans of the "barnyard-y," "musty" flavors that are typical of traditional English cheddars leaned toward Keen's, while those who favor more "butterscotch-y" cheddars preferred the American cheeses. The only factor that tipped the balance in favor of the domestic cheddars was price.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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