Cheeseburger Soup

It’s soup season at our house.   As much as I love soup, I need soups that hungry boys appreciate as well.    I hadn’t made this one since my husband could swallow normally due to stinking cancer.   I planned on this being bacon cheeseburger soup, but I didn’t have bacon on hand.  We live too far out to run get some bacon for a recipe.   If I had bacon, I would cook it first and then I would have cooked down the veggies in the bacon grease before adding to the soup.    That’s the plan next time.

These are the ingredients needed:

• 1# ground beef (I used venison)
• 1 package bacon (optional)
• 4 tablespoons real butter (unsalted is my preference)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 cup celery diced small
• 1 cup carrots shredded
• 4 cups shredded or peeled & cubed potatoes (I used from a bag of frozen hash browns)
• 4 cups chicken broth (I used bone broth.  My littles were ill.  They needed lots of support)
• 1 T Italian herbs (I was out so I added parley, oregano, and basil)
• 1 cup half and half, heavy cream, or milk if that’s what you have on hand
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Here’s how I did it:

1. I cooked the venison (or ground beef) in my large pot.   I like to use my pampered chef meat chopper deal when cooking ground meat.  I’m pretty sure I got this at my sweet childhood friend Suzanne’s party.  Had it been beef, I would have drained the grease.
2. While it was cooking, I cooked the onion, carrots, and celery in the butter until tender in a pan.   Because I’m used to cooking for littles, I chop those onions and celery teeny tiny.   You need it for the delicious flavor.  Also remember, if I was using bacon, I would have cooked these veggies in the bacon grease.
3.  Then I added the chicken broth to the meat, threw in the vegetables including the potatoes, and added the seasonings.
4. Once the potatoes were softened (which is quick if you are using frozen hash browns.  If you are using fresh potatoes, it will take a few minutes), I stirred in the half and half then turned down the heat to low.
5. Stir in cheese next, and then taste after a few minutes.   This is when I tweak with salt and pepper. Had my spicy loving older children been over, I probably would have added some red pepper flakes.
6. I love to serve in soup bowls, and garnish with more cheese and herbs atop to make it look pretty.

This was a yummy soup.   We had some homemade bread that we dipped in the broth to taste, and that was super delish!   I wish I would have taken a prettier in the bowl picture, but alas I did not.   This soup freezes well.   I also portioned out a few days in to-go bowls to eat for lunch at work.   Years ago I made this soup in a homemade bread bowl.   It makes it a fancy at home meal for sure!    Enjoy!   Let me know what you think.

 

Ham and Bean Soup

I have leftover ham on a bone that I saved from the holidays.    I soaked a bag of great northern beans.   When they are ready, I am going to saute 2 medium carrots, sliced, 2 celery ribs, chopped, chopped clove of garlic, and a chopped onion in a few tablespoons of butter. I’ll put all that in my crock pot with 4 cups of chicken broth, a bit of pepper, and a bay leaf.
I’ll throw in the ham bone with leftover meat attached and cook on low all day.   I’ll remove the bay leaf before serving and serve with fresh corn bread.   Yummy….can’t wait for dinner.

I’ll add a picture when it’s ready.

 

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Felt like soup today instead of tomorrow.   Decided upon Pasta e Fagioli because I love it when I go to Olive Garden (which is on rare occasion).  Pulled out a recipe and was missing an onion so substituted with dried onion.   Tomorrow is shopping day so we are low on all the fresh vegetables.  I also had to replace celery with celery seed.   Instead of using cannellini beans, I had great northern.   I will let you know how it turns out.    However, it already smells great.   I put it into the crock pot this morning.   My grandmother always cooked for the day early and loved it (and her).  It seems to really help on home school days to be ahead of the game when I can throw food in the crock pot or even just have a great game plan for the rest of the day so we don’t end up with sandwiches and noodle soup.   So without further chit chat the recipe (which I doubled for my crowd):

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 28 oz ca crushed tomatoes
• 4 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 T fresh chopped thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup small pasta such as shells or elbow

Warm oil in a saucepan over medium heat.   Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring often until they are soft but not brown.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.   stir in beans, tomatoes, broth & thyme.   Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.   Add pasta, stirring often until the pasta is al dente, 10-12 minutes longer.   Season again with salt and pepper if needed.   Thin with more broth if desired.

 

Since I did mine in the crock pot.  I am waiting to put the noodles in one hour before our meal and cranking the crock pot up to high.  I’m not crazy about soggy noodles so I want them just finished before we eat.   Hope you are having a blessed day and enjoying these unusually cool mornings for August (if you are in Georgia).   I’m LOOOOOVING it!  

 

 

Taco Soup – It’s What’s for Dinner

• 2# ground beef or venison, browned
• Large onion, diced
• 2 16 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 16 oz can Rotel tomatoes with chilis
• 1 16 oz can pinto beans
• 1 16 oz can black beans
• 1 16 oz can chili beans
• 1 16 oz can shoepeg corn
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 pkg ranch dressing mix

I double this for my crowd, except for the beef.  I also didn’t have the Rotel tomatoes and used my leftover tomato sauce that was in the refrigerator.    I begin by cooking the onions and meat together in my pot then add the canned items and seasoning mix.  Let it cook for a bit.  I also add a bit of chili powder because we like ours a bit spicy.  We serve it with tortillas or fritos, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

 

Also, I buy our taco seasoning in bulk from Sams or an organic food co-op and just measure out a bit that would be equivalent to a package of seasoning.  It’s cheaper to buy it in bulk especially if you eat as much mexican food as we do.

This is also a perfect  crock-pot recipe that you can throw together the night before or in the morning and let stay warm all day in the crock pot.  Hope you enjoy as much as we do.

 

My friend Cecilia’s baked potato soup-yummy

When my family wants baked potato soup, they usually want me to make my friend Cecilia’s recipe.  It always turns out well and it’s perfect fall/winter fare. I triple the recipe for my crowd because I love leftover soups for lunch and we have a large family.

Baked Potato Soup by Cecilia Johnson

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 1/2 c butter
• 2/3 c all-purpose flour (I use unbleached white)
• 6 cups milk
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 4 green onions, chopped & divided
• 12 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled & divided
• 1-1/4 c cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 (8 oz) container sour cream

Wash potatoes and prick several times with a fork  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until done.  Cool.  Cut potatoes lengthwise; scoop out pulp and set aside. Discard skins.  Melt butter over low heat, add flour; stir until smooth.  Add potatoes.  Gradually add milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick.  Add salt, pepper, half of the green onions, half of the bacon, half of the cheese.  Cook until heated through.  add milk for consistency.    Stir in sour cream.  Top with remaining onion, bacon and cheese.

When I tripled the recipe, I only used a 16 oz container sour cream and 1 full package of bacon.  I also salted and peppered to taste.

 

January 1 – Chicken Chili

We made chicken chili for dinner tonight.  Not a very traditional New Year’s meal but we loved it.

• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 1 7 oz can diced green chilis (mild or hot)
• 1 T Cumin
• 1 Pkg taco seasoning (I buy in bulk so put in the approx equivalent)
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 t red pepper (had from my summer garden)
• 2 t oregano
• 3 cans great northern beans (don’t drain)
• 3 cans sweet corn (drain)
• I used 3 chicken breasts and chopped into small pieces after I cooked
• 8 cups chicken broth

In large pan saute onion, garlic and seasonings in the olive oil.  Add the chicken and the chicken broth.  Cook to taste.  I like it to simmer for at least an hour.  This is great to throw in the crock pot for later.  We have enough left that I’m doing the crock pot with the leftovers for after church tomorrow.  Serve with tortilla chips and top with jack cheese.  Enjoy 😀

Update from 1/2:  BTW, this had quite a bit of broth left that I froze to use for another dish later.  Next time I make I’ll probably only use 4-5 cups of broth.