Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup

This was so simple to make and so yummy! Even Landon raved! It's a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies.

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend
2 cans (14 oz. each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
Salt and pepper to taste

PLACE vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.
MASH vegetables with potato masher to desired consistency.
STIR in VELVEETA; cook 5 min. or until VELVEETA is melted and soup is heated through, stirring frequently.

Ashlee side note: You could just use broccoli or just cauliflower for the soup if you prefer, but it was really good with all three veggies smushed up in there. I did leave a few small chunks because that's the way I like it, but you can make it as smooth as you like.

Black Angus Potato Soup

Black Angus is a steak house...apparently a really good one. And apparently they make amazing potato soup. I'm assuming it's got to be comparable to the loaded potato soup at The Garden Cafe here in Twin. That's some good soup! So, here's a recipe my sister in law, Holly, shared with me for the Black Angus potato soup.

4 large baking potatoes ( I use red since they are supposed to be better)

2/3 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup flour

6 cups milk

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

4 green onions -- chopped and divided

12 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled

1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded and divided

8 ounces sour cream

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400°F oven for 1 hour or until done. Peel and cube potatoes. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add salt, pepper, green onions and 1 cup of cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk if necessary. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.

Holly side note:) I also add fresh parsely and I don't use white pepper, and if you don't have bacon on hand bacon bits work just fine. You can even use bacon bits and bacon, we did and it was really good!! I also used about 8 large red potatoes. Goes really really good with homemade rolls!!!

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

Not sure how she got it, but this recipe is from my sister Crystal. It's literally the Chili's recipe for this soup I guess. It's "souper" yummy too. ;0) This is what I order whenever we go there. The soup and salad and that yummy queso dip. So, eat up!

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken breasts
1/2 cup Diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup Masa harina (flour)
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 oz. velveeta
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Garnish: shredded cheddar, crumbled tortilla chips, pico de gallo

1. Add oil to large pot over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to pot and brown. Set aside.
2. Add onions and garlic to pot and saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth.
3. Combine flour with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add this mixture to pot with onions, garlic and broth.
4. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
5. Shred chicken into small, bite sized pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick. Garnish.

Pepperoni Pizza Soup

You're going to hate me over this recipe, because there are no exact ingredients. I kind of just put stuff together one day. So, let me know what you think.

2 cans tomato soup

penne pasta, cooked and drained

pepperoni slices

small can of sliced olives

mozzarella cheese

oregano

garlic

Make the tomato soup according to directions in a sauce pan. How much pasta you want in it depends on if you like a thicker soup, or a soupier soup. :0)

Add pepperoni slices...I think I toss in about 20 or so slices, but if you want more go for it!

Stir in oregano and garlic to preferred taste, and then let all of this simmer on the stove to let the flavors meld together. Stir frequently so as not to let the soup burn to the bottom of the pan. ;0)

Add olives at the end and continue cooking until they are warmed through.

Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Serve immediately.

Ashlee side note: Landon ate this like he was starved. ;0) And it was tomato soup! Loved it! You can also make variations and do a meat lovers soup, or vegetable lovers....etc. I probably wouldn't suggest a hawaiian style pizza in this soup (yuck!) but you get the idea. Serve this with a bowl of salad and some garlic bread and your set! One of the easiest dinners to make!

Danish Dumplings

This recipe comes from my Great Grandma Arnold. It's been in our family for awhile as I have Danish ancestors. The recipe is just for the dumplings, not the soup. But, it does make a great chicken soup. Use these instead of noodles and your set!

1 cup cold water

1 cup flour

6 Tbsp. shortening

1/4 tsp. salt

4 eggs

Put water and shortening into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour and salt at once. Mix well until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly, while still hot.

Drop by spoonfuls in hot, boiling chicken broth.

Ashlee side note: These are soooo yummy. We always thought they were a special treat growing up and would fight over who got the most. I think my mom had to have made a double batch of them to satisfy all of us!

If you are making a chicken dumpling soup with them, make the vegetable soup in chicken broth first, and when all of that is ready, that's when you add the dumplings by the spoonful. Otherwise, the dumplings can come apart if you stir it too much.

Enjoy one of my families favorite traditional foods!