FunGuy’s Ghost Mushroom Beer Cheese Potato Soup

Haunt your Halloween this year with a phantomtastic FunGuy mushroom soup!

Roasted potatoes and garlic combine with rich beer and cheese to make a smooth, creamy, comforting ghostly soup for our FunGuy mushrooms, turned ghost mushrooms, to rest on. A little drizzle of chili oil makes a frighteningly delicious optional addition to your boo-licious soup!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Brush off any debris from the FunGuy mushrooms with a damp cloth. Slice about half of the mushrooms and set aside to turn into ghost mushrooms. Chop the other half of the mushrooms and transfer them to the baking sheet. Peel and cube the potatoes and add them to the baking sheet with the mushrooms. Peel and cut the onion in quarters and add it to the potatoes and mushrooms on the baking sheet. Cut the top end off of head of garlic and wrap it in aluminum foil before adding it to the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and mushrooms and toss well to coat the rest of the vegetables, and set the wrapped garlic on the sheet with the rest. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and allow the mushrooms, potatoes, onion, and garlic to roast for about 25 – 30 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, remove the tray from the oven.
4. While the vegetables roast, prepare the FunGuy ghost mushrooms by using a straw to cut out eyes and a mouth on each sliced mushroom and set aside until the soup is done. 
5. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a soup pot. Remove the foil and skin from the roasted garlic and add the garlic to the pot.
6. Transfer the soup pot to a burner over high heat. Pour the beer into the pot and stir frequently while it comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the beer to reduce by half. Pour the broth into the pot, add the rosemary, and stir well. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup up to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to cook about 10-15 minutes longer. Remove the soup from the stove and remove the rosemary and discard.
7. When the soup is done cooking, turn off the heat and use an immersion blender, or a blender,  to blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and black pepper and return the soup to the stove top over medium heat.
8. Add the shredded cheese to the soup and stir to combine. Pour in the cream and stir well. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Allow the soup to come back up to just a simmer and stir well to make certain all the cheese has melted. Turn the heat off and cover to keep warm.
9. For the ghostly mushrooms, place a dry nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the mushroom ghosts to the pan in a single layer. Allow the mushrooms to cook, turning them half way through, about 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms have let out some of their juices and they have become more tender, but not very browned. Turn off the heat. 
10. Ladle the soup into bowls and divide the mushroom ghosts between each. Finish each bowl with a drizzle of spicy chili oil and serve!

Have a Fun and Spooky Halloween meal!