Recipe: Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

Don't let the title of this recipe scare you off.  When I first heard it, I was very unsure, but this soup is fantastic!! It is a recipe my mom gave me, and it is one of my favorite things she makes.  I don't make a ton of different soups, but it was a rainy day this day and soup sounded perfect.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of water
2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
2 small carrots, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
2 1/2 cup milk, divided
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
8 oz. processed American cheese, cubed
1/4 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Bacon pieces (optional)

1. In a large saucepan, combine the first 9 ingredients, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat;  cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

My husband browned the beef while I chopped everything up!  Don't forget to drain the meat after it's browned.

2. Stir in beef and 2 cups of milk; heat through.
3. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup.  Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.  Add cayenne. Top with bacon if desired.

This recipe could easily be modified to your liking.  I didn't quite measure out the pepper, I just used the whole green pepper, I used three carrots, 2 jalapenos, and I added some hot sauce because I like it extra spicy.  I haven't tried this before, but you could try using ground turkey if you prefer that.  If you want to make it a bit easier, you could also pick up the carrots from the salad bar to save a step from shredding carrots.  It turned out delicious, and I highly recommend trying it as it gets a bit chilly out!

We had this wine while cooking dinner and I just wanted to share because it was a nice cheaper wine!
~Kate