Day 61: Cheeseburger Soup

I love soup. I love soup so much that I could eat it everyday and probably never get tired of it. My hubby, however, does not like soup. Since the weather is warming up and his days on the night shift are numbered, I really need to get in all the soup I can. Soup seems so much better in the DO. I really should say that everything seems so much better in the DO. I don't know if I will be able to give up that great flavor. I may end up cooking in my DO forever! Here is today's recipe!

Cheeseburger Soup

12" dutch oven

1/2 lb. ground beef

4 Tbs. butter, divided

3/4 cup shredded carrots

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup diced celery

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups diced potatoes

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

8 oz. processed American cheese, cubed

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

In your DO, over about 18 coals, brown the beef, drain and set aside. In the same DO, saute the onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tbs. butter until the veggies are tender. Add the broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Remove a few coals, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small DO, melt the remaining butter. Add the flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add to the soup, bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. I had some roux in the fridge that I used, so I skipped making it. Remove a few more coals, you want a low heat now. Add the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Makes 8 servings.

The Review

I have to say, this soup was just okay. I really didn't expect to be blown away, but I thought it would be better than it was. About half my kids ate it, the other half tolerated it. I'm glad I didn't double the recipe. This is the kind of recipe I will maybe make once a year, but no more often than that. Maybe I could spice it up with just a little hot pepper sauce. I have to give this recipe a C+.