Cheeseburger Soup

A friend of mine brought this delicious soup to my Witch's Night Out party this year, and it was a HIT!!  Everyone loved it, and kept going back for more.  My husband, who was suppose to be downstairs with the kids came up to get more soup at least 3 times, I think maybe more.  

I decided to try it out on the kids for dinner, and what do you know.... they LOVED it too!  My little boy even chose it for lunch the next day (that never happens).

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1-3/4 pounds)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

• In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute the onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).

~Rachel~

Homemade Bread Bowls and Broccoli and Cheese Soup

This is one of my family's favorite meals. Today was rainy, windy and cold which put me in the mood for something warm and delicious. You will love this.

Bread Bowls:

Ingredients

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (2 ½ tsp = 1 package) OR 5 tsp
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
•  1 Tbs sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add salt, oil, sugar and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition.
3. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. 
4. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
5. Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
8. To make bowls: Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately.   

Broccoli and Cheese Soup:

•  1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups cubed processed cheese
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place broccoli in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Set aside and do not drain water.
2. In a large saucepan, heat milk. Blend in the flour and cheese until smooth. Stir in the cream and bouillon cube. Add the broccoli and some of its water until you have the right consistency.  Add salt and pepper. 
3. Pour into bread bowls and enjoy!

-Meagan-

Chunky Potato Soup

I love this Potato Soup!  It is a Cheesy, Ham and Potato Soup.  If you love potato soup, you should at least try this once!  I have not felt well this week I really felt like it was a soup day today, so Chunky Potato Soup it was!  Also, I usually have a bunch of leftover ham after Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner so I will cube it up and use it in a few recipes.  Here are the ingredients you will need:



3 Medium Red Potatoes (I will use russet and sometimes more than 3, I like leftovers!)
2 Cups Water
1 Small Onion
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp All-purpose Flour
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (I have never used because I never have them on hand)
Ground Black Pepper
3 Cups Milk
1 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Cubed Cooked Ham

1.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.

2.  Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add potatoes and cook until tender.  Drain, reserving liquid.  Set aside potatoes.  Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water if necessary; set aside.

3.  Peel and finely chop onion.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion to saucepan; cook stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.

4.  Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes.

5.  Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk, and sugar to onion. mixture in saucepan; stir well.  Add cheese and ham.  Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Store leftovers, covered in refrigerator.

You can get this recipe and others at: www. grandmaskitchenrecipes.com.  I love the recipes I have tried from here. 

Yummy, yummy soup

I LOVE shrimp.  So anytime I see a new recipe for shrimp I like to try it.  Kennedy and I would watch Rachael Ray together sometimes when Tori was at school.  One day she had this as her demonstration, and I literally tried it that night... I was not disappointed!  It is so good.  I can't wait until it starts to turn cold so I can make this soup.  Making it tomorrow!!!  Happy day!

Sausage and Shrimp in one pot

Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound hot or sweet bulk Italian sausage or 1 pound of links, split from casings
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1 pound large, peeled, deveined shrimp
A handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a handful, chopped
1 loaf ciabatta bread (Ijust made my own french bread)

Heat a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat with EVOO, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the sausage, crumble and brown 3-4 minutes then add peppers, onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes more so the vegetables start to soften.

Add tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, stir and bring up to a boil. Add shrimp and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook 5 minutes, uncover and stir in basil and parsley. Turn off heat.

Crisp bread in the hot oven. Serve stoup in shallow bowls with crusty bread alongside for mopping.

I will post a picture when I make it again this week.

Enjoy!
Rachel

Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup

We get bountiful baskets quite often and it is about this time of the year when I start getting squashes that I have no idea what to do with them.  Some I have never heard of.  Last year we got a BIG butternut squash in the basket and I went in search for a new and interesting recipe to try.  When I talked to Mom she said she had just tried a good one, and this is it.  We tried it and everyone loved it.  I have to admit though, I did not mention that it was a squash soup until after dinner was over.  Austin DID NOT believe me, but he still likes it!  ;)

So here it is...

1 1/2 - 2 lb. butternut squash.  Cut, clean out, and lightly coat the cut side with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, or spray with olive oil.  Bake on a cookie sheet with the cut side down.  Bake at 350 for about one hour or until soft.

Remove from oven, cool, remove skin.  Place squash in blender with 2 cups chicken stock; pulse until smooth.

While squash is baking, cut a Kilbasa sausage into slices and then into small pieces, if desired.  Simmer with 2 1/2 C. chopped onion until onion is tender and sausage is browned.  Drain off grease and set aside.

In a pot, cook 1 C. wild rice in 4 C. of chicken stock until rice is tender.  Remove from heat.  Cool.

In a large pot add squash mixture and 6 additional cups of chicken stock; simmer.  Then add the onion/sausage along with 2 cans drained whole kernel corn.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add rice and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Just before serving add 1 1/2 C half and half and heat on low until soup is warm.  Top with T. chopped Parsley; season with salt and pepper.


My family are not fans of onions, so I do not include the onion at all. 






Grocery list:
 1 1/2 - 2 lb butternut squash
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Onion
Kilbasa sausage (I have omitted this before, but we like it included better)
1 C. wild rice
12 C. chicken stock
2 cans of whole kernel corn
1 1/2 C. half and half  (I have substituted whole milk when I forgot the 1/2 and 1/2)
Parsley for garnish, if you like

Enjoy!! 

Rachel