Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup diced celery 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 small diced red potatoes 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped chives or green onion

  Instructions

  • Cook bacon in a large 5-6 quart pot over medium heat. Cook and stir until crisped. Remove bacon and place onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add onion, carrot, and celery to hot bacon grease, stirring and cooking until fork tender, about 5-8 minutes. Whisk in flour, stirring until well combined, letting cook for a few minutes. Stir in chicken broth and half of the bacon, stirring to combine. Add diced potatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic salt, stirring to combine. Let potatoes cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. With the back of a fork, mash most of the potatoes and vegetables.  This creates a thick, creamy soup base. Stir in cream and let warm on low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer until ready to serve. Serve each cup of soup topped with shredded cheese, remaining bacon crumbles, and chives or green onion.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Soup

3 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 - 2 cups cooked ham, diced
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 can evaporated milk (add enough regular milk to make 2 cups)
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Combine potatoes, onion, ham, water, and bullion in a pot and bring to a boil.  Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.  Stir in salt and pepper.  In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thick.  Slowly stir in milk so lumps do not form until all the milk is added.  Continue to stir until thick.  Add in cheese and stir until melted.  Stir the cheese mixture into the ham and potato mixture and cook until heated through.

Cheeseburger Soup

We received this soup from a friend after we had Amanda.  Gary & Gail happened to be visiting us & really liked it. I would use regular cheddar cheese rather than Velveeta, personal preference.

½-1 lb. ground beef
¾ c chopped onion
¾ c shredded carrots (about 2)
¾ c diced celery (about 5)
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. basil
4 Tb. Butter (divided)
1 ½ c potatos (2-3)
3 c chicken broth
½ c flour
1 ½ c milk
2 c Velveeta cheese (or cheddar cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger
Sauté onion, carrot, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tb butter
Add broth, potatoes and hamburger and bring to a boil
Simmer until potatoes are soft (about 30 min)
Melt 3 Tb butter – add flour and milk, then cheese
Add to potato/beef mixture
Salt and pepper to taste

courtesy of Annette Jones

Mema's Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
Milk (enough to make a thick soup)
1 TB butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube onion and potatoes. Barely cover with water. Cook until tender. Start the onions first (while you are peeling and cutting up the potatoes) because the onions take longer to cook. When the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork (about 7 minutes), remove from heat and pour off extra liquid. Add milk (enough to make a thick soup). Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 TB butter. Slowly bring to boil. Turn heat to low or medium low and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often to avoid contents sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serve with crackers or bread and ENJOY!

Mema's Minestrone Soup

Saute the following ingredients in a large kettle with 2 TB. oil, stirring often:

1 onion, chopped
3 large carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, cut up
1 c. cabbage, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Add:

1 quart stewed tomatoes
2 1/2 quarts hot water
4 beef bullion cubes
1 chicken bullion cube (optional)
1 can kidney beans, mashed (or substitute 1 can refried beans)

After soup comes to a boil, add 1 c. macaroni and 1 large bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 2 hours to enhance flavors. Remove bay leaf before serving. Delicious with Parmesan cheese on top.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This delicious recipe is from the school cafeteria where I work...It's GREAT in bread bowls! I've broken it down to make about 4-5 servings.

1/2 c. (1 cube) butter
1/2 c. flour
1/4 can evaporated milk (3/8 c.)
4 c. water
1 TB. chicken base or chicken bullion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 lb. broccoli
10 slices processed American Cheese

In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter; add flour and blend thoroughly into thin paste. Add liquid and stir well. Add spices and chicken base. Add broken up slices of cheese, stirring often. Cut up broccoli and steam lightly (since I don't have a steamer, I boil the broccoli briefly in water and drain). Add broccoli to soup base. Simmer.

Best Beef Stew

I was feeling rather 'food-networky' the other day, after watching the food network, and so I tried out what I saw...and although it's not exactly Paula Deen (because I don't do butter), it's darn good!

1 lb or package beef stew meat
1 minced onion
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 lb baby carrots
1 can green beans
1 can cream o mushroom soup

Method:
Brown meat, onions and garlic in a skillet. Transfer to a crock pot and add the soup, carrots and beans plus about a cup to cup and a half of water. Cook on high for 4-5 hours till the meat is falling apart. Serve over mashed potatoes, or rice.

Leshta Chorba (Bulgarian Lentil Soup)

This dish was served to me countless times as a missionary, and I really love it. It's great for warming you up, or for an easy dinner. Serve with lots of crusty bread!

1 lb brown lentils, washed
1, 15 oz can stewed tomatos
2 C shredded or chopped carrots (or a small pkg baby carrots)
1 med onion, diced
2-3 cloved minced garlic
2-3 teaspoons summer savory (In Bulgarian it's CHOO-bri-tza)
1 t flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6-7 C water

Directions
On the stove top in a large soup pan, heat the water on medium high till almost boiling. Add the lentils, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, savory and parsley.
Salt and pepper to taste as well. Cook till the lentils are done 35-45 mins.
It's important to note that you don't want this dish to boil, but just simmer under the boiling point. The lower and slower you can cook the soup will also enhance the flavors. However, if you don't have time for low and slow, this hour version will also be great

Best Bean Soup

This is a variation of a WW recipe that I've tweeked a bit to be a "year supply dinner", and by that I mean, most of the ingredients can come from your pantry or year supply.

2 cans Great Northern Beans
2 cans stewed tomatoes, any variety
2 cans veggie broth, but you can use chicken broth too
1 pkg or 1 lb fresh spinach, washed and chopped or torn into peices (you can use a 10 oz pkg of frozen spinach, but I find that the texutre and apprearance of frozen spinach to be very off putting)
1 med onion diced up
2-3 cloves or minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsrley or 1 T dried parsely (optional)
Crusty bread & the cheese of your choice

Method:

Sautee onion and garilc till soft and almost translucent. Add meat and brown, don't forget to salt and pepper. When the meat is brown add the beans, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 mins. Next add the spinach in in batches and allow to wilt down then add the next bunch, add the parsely here too if your're using it. Allow to cook for a few more minutes and serve with warm bread and cheese. WW info: 1 1/2 C soup = 4 pts, add appropriate points for bread and cheese according to lable info.

Varation: Place in a 2 qt casserole dish when all the ingredients are cooked. Rip bread into chunks and place on top of the soup, also sprinkle cheese on top and broil till cheese is brown and bubbly -- like you would do with French Onion soup. If you do it this way your WW nutrition info is: 1 1/2 C soup w/bread = 8 pts.

Mr Potato Head Soup

Again, another copy and paste from my blog, I wrote this last fall, if you couldn't tell...haha!

Not only does fall mean I can use my oven again, it also means I cook again. What do we eat in the summer you ask? Things that do not require cooking that's what. But anyway, I made a big pot of Grandma Randall's potato soup the other night. The thing about potato soup is that it makes REALLY good left overs. It also reminds me of the Ranch, Grandma and Grandpa Randall and all the crazy times with the cousins....

3-4 lbs potatoes. If you use russetts, peel them, if you use reds or golds, leave the skins on.
1/2 lb ham or bacon
1 chopped onion
1, 15 oz can evaporated milk
1 can of corn
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsely rough chopped (optional)

Method:
Fill a soup pot about 2/3 of the way full, about 5 or so cups. Add some salt to the water and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook till done. When the potatoes are done, add the milk and corn. In a seperate pan, sautee the onion and ham/bacon till the onions are translucent and starting to brown and the ham/bacon is slightly brown but not crispy. If you are using bacon, you might also want to drain off some of the fat at this point. Add the onions and meat to the potatoes and stir. Boil for about 15 more mins and season to taste. Right before serving add the parsely if you want it. Serve with crusty bread or rolls. It's also nice with some cheese on top!

Taco Soup - posted by Melissa

I got this delicious recipe from my friend, Kristy--an EXCELLENT cook, who saved our family dinners!

1 can pizza sauce (I used 1 26.5 oz. can of spaghetti sauce, because I had it on hand--it worked GREAT!)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning (I added 2/3 c. water)
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
1 15 oz. can pinto beans (or kidney beans, drained)
1 can corn

Combine ingredients in crock pot and heat on high for about 3 hours. Top each bowl of soup with grated cheese, sour cream, and Fritos or tortilla chips (the "scoop" tortilla chips work GREAT).