Last night I tried a new recipe I had found on Pinterest - (my latest and greatest obsession) and it was AWESOME! Even Steve liked it despite not being a big fan of soup and Amaya gobbled it up! For whatever reason, I simply can't leave a recipe alone... I've always got to tweak it a little and add a few things... and for the most part it's a good thing, and last night was a VERY good thing!!! Someday I'll tweak this to a healthier version, but it is so creamy and cheesy - can't wait for leftovers tonight!!
Here's the recipe - the original came from Taste of Home and was later "pinned" on Pinterest..
**I've kept the original recipe, but the things in bold are my changes.***
1/2 pound ground beef (1 pound ground beef)
(1 pound low sodium bacon)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery (1/2 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) (3 cups potatoes... I felt if I added another cup, it would be more like stew than soup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed (16 ounces of Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoon no salt substitute)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream (1/2 cup sour cream)
Directions
In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef and bacon; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute the onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the 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. Stir in the 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).