Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided

• 3/4 cup chopped onion

• 3/4 cup shredded carrots

• 3/4 cup diced celery

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

• 1-3/4 pounds (about 4 cups) cubed peeled potatoes

• 3 cups chicken broth

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 to 4 cups shredded Velveeta

• 1-1/2 cups whole milk

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook and crumble beef until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In same saucepan,

melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, ground beef and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly, 3-5 minutes. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Test Kitchen tips

• Save on prep time by using frozen cubed hash brown potatoes in place of fresh.

• To prevent soup from curdling, remove from the heat before adding sour cream.

• Go all out! Serve in bread bowls with condiment skewers; try cocktail onions and mini pickles.

• More hearty recipes for people who love cheeseburgers.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 450 calories, 27g fat (15g saturated fat), 100mg cholesterol, 1421mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 3g fiber), 19g protein.