I thought of making this when we had some leftover flat beer from a big bottle Todd bought Cooperstown. We made chili instead, but I still think this would be good with some beer in it, maybe subbed in for some of the water.

This starts with 1/4 cup butter melted in a Dutch oven (auspicious beginning, no?). Then you sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over it and stir that together until all the butter is absorbed and you have a paste. Take that out and set aside, then add 5 cups water, a head's worth of broccoli florets (I don't have time to cut up broccoli anymore so I bought mine this way), bouillon for 5 cups of stock, salt and pepper. Simmer than for about 1/2 hour, then whisk the flour mixture back in a little bit at a time and simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Then stir in some half-and-half, a couple cups of shredded Cheddar and a few gratings of nutmeg.