Cheeseburger Soup

Cold day + hot soup = Winning lunch (or supper).

Two of my friends - Barb and Julie - served a Cheeseburger Soup at a Bible study at church before Christmas, and it got rave reviews. I asked for the recipe, but with the hectic pace of the holidays, I hadn't yet given it a try myself. With freezing rain in the forecast last week, I decided it would hit the spot after a morning of feeding and watering calves in the cold. With snow a possibility again today, it's good we still have leftovers.

I made some changes to how the original recipe was constructed. In addition, the recipe called for shredded carrots, but I just chopped them, since I prefer chunky soup. It also lists shredded Velveeta cheese. They do have shredded Velveeta in the dairy case these days, but I just used a portion of the block of Velveeta and chopped it instead. It may have taken a few more stirs to get it melted, but the warm milk mixture did its part quickly.

It was just as good as I remembered. And Randy thought it was mighty tasty, too. It will be making repeat appearances in the rotation of soups we enjoy.

Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Soup

From my friend, Barb's kitchen

(adapted from Taste of Home)

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots (I just chopped them, rather than shredded them)
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-3/4 pounds (about 4 cups) cubed peeled potatoes
3 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
2 to 4 cups shredded Velveeta
1/4 cup sour cream

Brown and crumble beef until no longer pink; drain well. Combine browned hamburger, chopped vegetables, chicken broth, dried basil and parsley, salt and pepper in a large stock pot.  Cook until veggies are tender, but not mushy.

In a separate skillet, melt butter. Stir in flour and combine well, making a roux, cooking about 2 minutes while stirring constantly so that it doesn't burn. Stir in milk and cook until smooth and thickened. Stir in cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat; add sour cream. Stir the cheese mixture into the stock pot and stir until well blended.

Serve with crackers, fresh veggies and fruit. Makes 2 1/4 quarts.