Fall is for Soup

It's beginning to feel like fall.
Still hot some days.
But there is a coolness to the breeze
that wasn't here a few weeks ago.
And the evening and mornings are lovely.

Yesterday, was a little stormy.
A little cooler.
Time for a new soup recipe.
I found one among all my recipes.
Not sure where I got it.
But it's now a new favorite of mine.

Cheeseburger Soup
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
4 T butter or margarine divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. In same pan saute onions, carrots, celery parsley and basil in 1 T butter until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add broth, potatoes and beef to vegetables, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. In microwave melt remaining butter, add flour. Add to soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese and milk. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and add sour cream.

As always, I altered the recipe a little.
Here's the changes I made:
5 cups of potatoes (instead of 4).
I always add more potatoes than recipes call for.
I love potatoes!
4 cups of water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes
(instead of 3 cups chicken broth).
Bouillon cubes are so much cheaper.
4-6 oz. Velveeta (instead of 8)

Things I left out:
Parsley flakes (just because I was out)
Salt
Pepper
(I simply forgot those two.
Definitely didn't miss the salt.
But I will add the pepper next time.
Pepper makes things yummy.)
Sour cream (believe me, it's rich enough)
Oh.
Those rolls were yummy too.
Another new recipe.
Herbed dinner rolls.
Tasty!

There's nearly always extra kids at our house after school.
And I'm typically in the kitchen cooking while they are here.
I was working away on this soup.
One of Jake's friends told me:
Gina, I wish you weren't such a good cook.
It always makes me hungry when I'm here.

He's my new favorite boy.

And, I have to say, those veggies and herbs sauteing
did smell wonderful!

Don't worry.
I will not let his words go to my head.
I have had many flops lately.
Many.
Nothing has been awful.
Just blah.
It was nice to finally make something that turned out good.