Cheeseburger Soup

I am anxiously awaiting for Fall weather to arrive so I can start making warm, hearty soups. I am plan on posting soups every week for the next month or two, so sorry if you don't like soups. (we love them at this house) I would love to hear your favorite soup so post it in the comments! I love feed back! Enjoy this rich soup that takes only one bowl to fill you up.

1/2 pound ground beef

3/4 c chopped onion

3/4 c shredded carrots

3/4 c diced celery

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

5 Tablespoons butter, divided

2-3 cans chicken broth (depending on how thick you want it)

4 cups peeled, diced potatoes (or unpeeled red potatoes)

1/4 cup flour

2 cups (8oz) Velveeta, cubed

1 1/2 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

In a 6-quart saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside beef. In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 2 Tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Add 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 pan, melt remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until bubbly. Whisk into soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add Velveeta, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream.

Bang Bang Shrimp

One of my favorite dishes at The Bonefish Grill is this appetizer so I was so excited to come across this copy cat recipe last year. I've made it for many get-togethers and each time, I am asked for the recipe. I thought I had posted it on here already but haven't. So here you go, a new recipe for the game tonight. Serve without sauce for the kiddos.



1 box frozen pop-corn shrimp (big box)
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce (sold in Asian section)
5-10 drops of hot chili sauce (also called Sriracha sauce, sold in Asian section)
1-2 scallions, chopped

Bake shrimp as directed or until they are crispy. Combine sauce ingredients and drizzle over the hot shrimp. Top with scallions.

For those who of you who have the time or the energy, you can coat fresh shrimp with cornstarch and deep fat fry until lightly brown, then coat with sauce. I personally have never had that much time or energy :)

Taco Salad

The Labor Day weekend is approaching. Get togethers will be had. The last swim until next year will be had. The last days of Summer will be enjoyed. That's what I love about this salad. It's loved by all, it's quick and it's easy. Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Enjoy!





Iceberg lettuce, chopped or a bag of just lettuce
2 cans chili beans or Ranch beans, drained
1 pkg. Fritos or Taco flavored Doritos
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
8 oz. bottle Catalina dressing, reg or light

Combine all ingredients except chips. Add the chips right before serving to keep crunchy. Sometimes I add green onion and/or green pepper, just depends on what I have.

Soda Pork Chops

I found this recipe in a local school cookbook and thought it sounded intriguing. It has very few ingredients and it seemed too easy. And the outcome? Loved by everyone! My son said they were the most awesome thing he's had in a long time. I've noticed a theme with us though, you can put ketchup and brown sugar on anything and they will eat it! These would be good to make for a large crowd and would go splendidly with the Country Club Potatoes.
Enjoy!




6-8 porkchops, boneless and thin cut
salt and pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 cup cola (such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper, not sugar-free)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large, shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Place chops in dish, leaving enough room for sauce to get in between, sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In smaller bowl, combine ketchup, sugar and cola then pour over chops. Bake uncovered for an hour or until tender.

Country Club Potatoes

Maybe it was the long, hot day at the pool. Maybe it was because we were hungry for real food. Maybe it was this, maybe it was that. Who knows but these potatoes were awesome and devoured by the whole family. Even my husband, a potato non-lover, thought they were awesome. They were quick and easy and stayed hot for a long time! Now I understand why they are served at buffet style events. Love them.



1 pkg frozen shredded hash brown style potatoes
2 cups half and half
6 TBS butter
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Heat half and half to a boil. Stir in potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened. Place in 9x13 casserole dish. Top with Parmesan and Paprika. Broil until brown and bubbly or bake in 350 degree oven until browned and bubbly. That's it.

Grilled Shrimp

I would have sworn I had posted this recipe since it is our favorite grilled shrimp. However, I couldn't find it on here so sorry if you've seen this before! When I first saw this recipe, many years ago, I thought there was no way it would be as good as it is. Shrimp usually goes best in a white sauce, not a tomato sauce, but you don't really taste the tomatoes in the end product. You just taste scrumptiously moist shrimp with great flavor. It only takes a couple minutes to grill either on skewers or in a grill pan. This doesn't serve but a couple people so double as needed.



1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS dried basil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place shrimp in shallow glass pan. Mix rest of ingredients together in small bowl. Pour over shrimp. Marinate in fridge, stirring occasionally, for 2-4 hours. Thread on skewers and grill over medium heat or place in a grill pan and toss until cooked. Discard marinade. Do not overcook.

Penne Rosa

We love pasta at our house, if you couldn't tell. We also love zucchini. It's a good thing they go together so well! This is a good light, cream sauce with fresh tomatoes and zucchini. I love Summer produce. This was a family hit that seemed to please both the white sauce and red sauce lovers in our house. It would have been even better with shrimp or chicken but I didn't have any so I served it without.

1 zucchini, sliced and quartered

3-4 small, ripe tomatoes, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

5-6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped (roll up leaves tightly and slice)

1/2 pound penne

1/2 cup to 1 cup cream

olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add zucchini and tomatoes, pepper and salt. Let simmer for approx. 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes start to bleed and thicken. Add garlic and basil to soften but careful not to burn. Add the cream and simmer over low heat until sauce is as thick as you would like. Combine sauce with pasta and top with fresh grated Parmesan.