Cheeseburger Soup. Here’s what I made last night, a slight variation on a recipe I’d gotten off a frugal newsgroup. I didn’t put the mushrooms in last night because I didn’t have any.

1/2-1 pound of ground beef (depending on how filling you want it to be!)

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)

3-4 cups chicken or beef broth

2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs butter

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

8 ounces American cheese, cubed

1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

Brown the ground beef. Add the onion and cook until soft. Drain any fat off. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook about 5-10 minutes, then add the broth, potatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes or so. Timing’s not essential as long as the vegetables are cooked!

Make a white sauce. Melt the butter, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly and cook 2 minutes over medium low heat. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly. Turn the heat up and simmer a few minutes until thick. Stir into the soup. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream if using.

Goes great with biscuits or crackers!