Begin by prepping the ingredients (mise en place) so everything is ready when needed, the recipe will move quickly. Cook and crumble the bacon, diced the veggies, and grate the cheese.

In a stock pot on medium heat, add the butter (or use bacon grease if preferred) to the pot and sauté the red pepper, onions, and garlic for about 5 minutes (they should be fragrant and translucent). Season the veggies with a little salt and pepper. Add in the celery salt, paprika and cayenne.

Add in the 4 oz. of cream cheese and use a wooden spoon to break it up and allow the heat from the pot to soften it. Stir until it is smooth and mixed in with the veggies. Add in the Dijon mustard and coconut aminos (or soy sauce).

Next, add in the chicken stock and then the beer. Whisk any of the lumps from the cream cheese into the liquid and do not add the cheese until it is dissolved.

To slowly melt the cheese into the sauce and avoid separation, add in small handfuls at a time and whisk until each handful is melted into the liquid and smooth. Continue this process until the cheese is gone. The soup should be slightly thicker at this stage.

Serve the soup with crumbled bacon and optional chives or green onion for garnish!