2 lg Sweet potatoes peeled and
Cut into 1/2" cubes
6 c  Chicken broth, homemade
1    Mexican bottle beer (12 oz)
2 ts Ground cumin
1    Bay leaf
1/4 lb Thick-sliced bacon
1 lg Onion, chopped
2 cl Garlic, minced
1 cn Creamed corn (16oz)
1 cn Diced green chiles (4oz)
2 ts Chili powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 c  Milk
1/2 c  Heavy or whipping cream
1 lb Monterey jack cheese
1/2 c  Chopped fresh cilantro

Place the sweet potatoes, 3 cups of chicken broth, the beer, cumin, and bay
leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes
are crisp-tender, 12-15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp in a large stockpot. Remove the bacon
and drain on paper towels; when it is cool, chop or crumble it. Add the
onion and garlic to the fat remaining in the pot; saute over medium-high
heat until quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes with the
cooking liquid to the onion and stir in the remaining 3 cups broth as well.

Add the creamed corn and green chiles to the soup and season with the chili
powder and cayenne. Gradually stir in the milk and cream. Simmer the soup,
uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Shred 12 ounces of the cheese and cut the remaining 4 ounces into small
dice. Reduce the heat under the soup to low and add the shredded cheese,
stirring just until melted. Season the soup with salt and stir in the
cilantro. Ladle into bowls, stirring a tablespoon of diced cheese into
each.