Cheeseburger Soup

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) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product
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 onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add 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. Add 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).

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

2 cups cooked chicken (love to use rotisserie chicken)
small onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups potatoes, cubed
1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
6 Tbs. butter
1 cup flour
2 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
puff pastry dough or pie crust dough

Put potatoes in a pot with 1 cup of chicken broth and enough water to cover them. At the same time, put your carrots in a pot with enough water to cover them. Cover and cook both veggies until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. (I added my fresh corn and peas to the carrots with thee were almost done.)
Meanwhile, saute onions in a few teaspoons of oil until soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add in bouillon, pepper, garlic salt, broth and flour. Stir until smooth. Gradually add milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until it boils, simmer for a minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken and then each vegetable one at a time and stir carefully between each addition.
*Roll out pastry dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 3x3 inch square. Bake in 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, until puffy and slightly browned on top. Serve on top of soup. We like the pie crust of chicken pot pie so instead of the puff pastry, I cut a pie crust into pieces and baked it and serve it with soup.

Green Chili Chicken and Rice Soup

This soup was done in about 20 minutes and was really tasty!

2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 c. chicken broth
2 10 oz. cans Rotel tomatoes with Green Chili's (or a couple cans diced tomatoes and one can mild green chili's)
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
pinch of Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and Lawry's garlic salt with parsley to taste
1 bunch fresh chopped cilantro
Diced avocados, drizzled with lime juice
shredded cheese
tortilla chips

Place oil in a large stockpot/dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion for 5 minutes then add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, chicken breast, rice, lime juice, and seasonings. Cook 5 minutes; taste and season according to your liking. Right before serving add chopped cilantro.
Serve soup with avocado, cheese, and chips if desired. 10-12 servings

(I like to buy the rotisserie chicken's at Sam's Club for 4.99, shred and freeze it in a couple bags. It works out perfectly for recipes like this!!)

Fagioli Soup

This soup is really good and tastes just like the Pasta y Fagioli at Olive Garden

l lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 lrg carrot, julienned (1 cup) sometimes I grate mine
1 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, with liquid
1 15 oz can northern beans, with liquid
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can V-8 juice
1 TBL white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 pkg Ditali pasta (short macaroni tubes)

Brown the beef in a large saucepan. Drain off fat, if any. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook pasta according to directions until al dente, or slightly tough, about 10 minutes. Drain. Add the pasta to the soup and simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve. Serves 8.

If you find that it is too tomatoey, add some water until you find a consistency and taste you like. This recipe also freezes well.

White Chili

4 cans Navy Beans
6 C. Water
6 cubes Chicken Bouillon
1 Lg. Onion, chopped
2 T. Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 cans Chopped Green Chilies
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. Cumin
4 C. chopped cooked Chicken
3 C. grated Pepper Jack Cheese (you can use 1/2 monterey jack if you don't want it to be as hot)

Cook onion and garlic in butter until onion is clear. In a pot mix all ingredients except cheese. Simmer for 1 hour. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Rich and Simple French Onion Soup

I LOVE french onion soup!! This recipe is as good or better than any resturant!!

1/4 c. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 c. sliced onions
4 ( 10.5 oz) cans beef broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices French bread
4 slices provolone cheese
2 slices swiss cheese, diced
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter with olive oil in an 8 qt. stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions. Add broth and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes. Heat oven broiler. Ladle soup into oven safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each. On top of the bread put a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced swiss cheese, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly. I prefer to toast the bread in the oven before putting in on the soup or toast the bread, then put the cheese on top and broil it until the cheese is melted and then put it in the soup. (If you like garlic I have cut a clove of garlic and lightly rubbed it over the toasted bread before you cover it with cheese) Makes 4-6 servings.

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

1 lb. chicken shredded (I just put in a couple frozen chicken breasts and shred an hour before serving)
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chilis
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5) oz chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4. tsp pepper
1 (10 oz.) frozen corn
1 tbs. cilantro
Combine all the above ingredients in a crock pot and cook low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours and serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

Potato Cheese Soup

5 cups chicken broth
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. chopped celery
8 c. potatoes diced small
2 c. shredded carrots
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 qt. milk
2 1/2 c. grated cheese

Combine broth, celery, onions, carrots, and salt, boil ten minutes. Add potatoes and boil another 10 minutes or until just tender. Mix together butter and flour and stir in, then add milk. After it begins to thicken add cheese. Serve with bacon bits.