Cheeseburger Soup

I really love fall and winter foods. I love when the weather gets a little colder and it is okay to put on a pot of soup every night! Served with at salad and some crusty bread and it is such a great, easy, comforting meal. I have many favorites when it comes to soups. Some are healthy and stock full of veggies, others are creamy and a little more decadent. Whatever it is, soup always leaves you feeling warm inside and that is really what makes a good dinner.
This year, I tried out a new recipe I found in Cuisine at Home magazine. Have you ever read that publication? If not, you MUST try it. I have found a lot of my favorite recipes in there. I tried this recipe out and my middle daughter LOVED it. She loved it so much she wanted me to make it on her birthday. The doctor asked her at her yearly check up what her favorite food was and she said with a completely straight face, “Cheeseburger soup.” As if everyone had that at least once a week for dinner! This one is fun for the kids because it really tastes like a cheeseburger and it is fun to put the toppings on it since they are not the usual toppings for soup! Give it a try. My daughter swears you will love it!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb ground sirloin
1 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups yukon gold potatoes, peeled, diced
1 tsp dried basil
3 tblsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I actually used skim milk to cut the fat a bit and it tasted great)
2 cups cheddar cheese grated (I did use lowfat here too and it was fine. DO NOT use fat free)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tblsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings :chopped pickles, relish, ketchup, mustard, chopped onion, shoestring fries

Brown the beef in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until the meat begins to brown, then add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Saute about 10 minutes. Stir in the broth, potatoes and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. In a small bowl, combine milk and flour. Add to simmering soup. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add cheese, ketchup mustard and salt and pepper stirring until cheese is melted. Serve with assorted toppings.

Note: we never used the fries as toppings because the potatoes in the soup are substantial. The pickles, ketchup and mustard though are delicious on top!