Cheeseburger Soup

I was chatting on the phone with my mom today debating on what I was going to make for dinner tonight and she told me about this soup. She said that she and several of her friends have made it recently and that they all really enjoyed it. I jotted down the few things I needed and ran to the store. It was kind of rainy and a little cool here today, so this sounded great. Now, a couple things:
1. Not sure why it's called cheeseburger soup. Besides the fact that it has cheese and hamburger in it. But it also has potatoes, carrots, green chilies and bell peppers, which are not ingredients I think of when I think "cheeseburger". Regardless, it was awesome, so maybe I need to rethink my cheeseburger toppings.

2. I am trying to cook things that are healthy and usually milk based soups aren't high on any health food lists. But, I cut corners where I could and I think that overall, this probably wasn't too high in fat. I used 1% milk instead of whole milk so that cuts a ton of fat and calories right there and it was still nice and rich tasting.

I served it with Jiffy Corn Bread muffins and all 3 of my girls scarfed it right up. This will stay on my menu rotation for sure. Thanks, mom!

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups diced potatoes (I used canned potatoes)
1 cup diced carrots (I used sliced canned carrots)
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green peppers
4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 beef bouillion cubes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cubed american cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted this)

In a large saucepan, combine browned hamburger, water, potatoes, carrots, onion, pepper, chilies, garlic powder, and bouillion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Stir in 2 cups milk. Mix 1/2 cup milk and flour; gradually stir into
soup. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat, stir
in cheese and cayenne. Let simmer until ready to serve. Yield 6-8 servings

Chicken Taco Soup

It's the perfect time of year for a bowl of soup and this one is great because it's made with chicken, so it's healthier than the recipes made with beef, but it's still very hearty and filling. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe - she made a huge pot of it for us over Thanksgiving weekend and we all thought it was great! You add egg noodles to it as well, which makes it a little different than the other taco soups that you might normally have. You could throw everything together and put it in your crock pot, too, if you have a busy day planned and need dinner ready when you walk in the door. Or, cook it for a couple hours on your stove top - either way would work just fine.

Chicken Taco Soup

5-6 cans chicken broth (14 oz. size)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
5-6 Cups cooked chicken (you can cook your own chicken or use the packaged pre-cooked kind, or even get a rotisserie chicken and shred up the meat)
2 cans chili beans
1-2 packages taco seasoning (depending on taste)
1 can green chillies
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package egg noodles

Add all ingredients to pot (or crock pot) except noodles. Heat through and then turn to low. Add noodles to pot and cook on low 30 minutes before serving or until done. (If you are doing this in a crock pot, add noodles the last hour of cooking time.)

Serve with Fritos and top with cheese and sour cream.

Here's the kind of chili beans you need (flavored - mild or hot, depending on how spicy you want this)

White Chili (or Chicken Chili)

Well, it's that time of year again! It's getting cold and in my house, that means it's time for soup! I made this the other night along with Sandwich for a Crowd (see recipe in older posts) and it tasted so great together. It's a nice little change from regular chili and is easy to put together. You could even put it in your crock-pot and let it cook on low for several hours for a yummy meal after work one day.

White Chili

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cans White Meat Chicken-drained and chopped
2 Cans Great Northern Beans-drained and rinsed
1 small can Green Chilies
1 large Onion-chopped
4 cloves Garlic-minced
6 Cups Chicken Broth (I used fat free/low sodium)
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. Cumin
3 Cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (and extra for topping)
Sour Cream for topping
Salt to taste

In a large stock pot, add olive oil and cook onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. Add beans, chilies, chicken and chicken broth. Stir in pepper, oregano, cumin and salt - combine well. Turn to low heat and add 3 cups shredded cheese. Let simmer for at least an hour or put in crock-pot and let cook on low for several hours.

When ready to eat, top each bowl with extra cheese and sour cream. (Don't forget to check out the recipe for Sandwich for a crowd! They went great together!)

My Favorite Soups

There are few things about winter that I like. The cold, dreary days, night-fall at 5:00 p.m., bundling up the whole family just for a quick trip to Wally, etc., etc. But, one of the things that can make all of that better is to end the day with a big bowl of soup - it always tastes better on a cold night. So, here are two (yes, 2 for the price of 1 today) of our favorites. First, is baked potato soup. Oh my goodness, it's so rich and thick and will put a smile on your face for sure! And the second is Vegetable Beef Soup. Again, so good and will warm you right up on a cold night. Both make a lot, so you may even have leftovers for another night!

Baked Potato Soup

3-4 Large Russet Potatoes
1 1/3 Sticks Butter
2/3 Cup Flour
6 Cups Milk
1 Chicken Bullion Cube
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1/2 lb. Velveeta - Cut into chunks
8 oz. Sour Cream
Bacon bits and green onions for garnish

Prick potatoes with fork, wrap in foil and bake in oven until soft. (To speed up this process, I sometimes microwave my potatoes for about 5-7 minutes prior to wrapping them in foil and baking) Set baked potatoes to the side and let them begin to cool. To make the soup, melt butter over medium heat in large pot, then whisk in flour. Cook for a couple minutes and then slowly add milk. Whisk continuously until it comes to a low boil and starts to thicken. Turn heat to low and stir in bullion cube, salt, pepper and cheeses. Stir until cheeses are melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks and add to soup and return to low heat. (I leave the skin on my potatoes, but you can remove it if you prefer). Let soup heat through and serve. Top with garnishes of your choice.


Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 Small Onion, Chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped into small pieces
1 Can of each - Corn, Green Beans, Carrots, Peas (You can omit or add veggies that your family prefers)
2 Cans Diced Potatoes
1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 - 2 Cans Tomato Sauce
1 Can Water
1 Chicken Bullion Cube
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, onion and red bell pepper in a small amount of olive oil. Drain. Drain most of the water off the canned veggies and add all to pot. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, bullion cube and salt and pepper and stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour. Goes great with corn bread muffins!!

Enjoy and stay warm this winter!!