Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup



Warm, cheesy, chunks of potatoes and full of flavor.  This soup is so easy to make. I threw it together the night before I was going to serve it and transferred it to the crockpot in the morning. I let it simmer all day while we were entertaining guests and by dinnertime the potatoes were nice and tender and I didn't have to spend the day cooking. Everyone loved it!

 





 

 

Ingredients:

2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
8 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken Broth
1/4 c flour
1/2 c butter
1 lb lean ground beef, 93/7
1/2 c 1% Milk
6 - 8 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded (depending on how cheesy you want it)
Pepper to taste

Optional 2 TBSP corn starch

Directions:

Brown the meat, drain and set aside.

Melt 1/4 c of the butter in a large 5 qt pot and saute the onions, carrots and the celery until softened. Add cooked hamburger meat and chicken broth.  In another sauce pot, melt the remaining butter add the flour over low heat. Stir until thick and add to the large pot.

Stir well, then add the cheese along with the milk. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. Add the potatoes (uncooked).

Transfer the soup to a large crockpot and let it simmer all day on low. About 6 to 8 hours to make the potatoes tender. Depending on how thick you like your soup, towards the end remove 1/2 cup of broth and whisk in 2 TBSP of corn starch. Pour back into the crockpot and stir thoroughly. Let the soup cook without the lid for another hour to thicken.

Serve with a hunk of crunchy bread and season with pepper.

Turkey Meatball and Spaghetti Soup

My family has never been huge on soups, unless they are hearty and the broth is pretty much nonexistent. Back when my daughter was born a neighbor delivered this delicious soup to me. I literally ate the entire container by myself. I have been dreaming of this soup for over 2 years and finally decided to make it. I added extra noodles and less broth in hopes to please my picky people. The verdict? They ate it and didn't complain! I even convinced Rich to keep some broth in his bowl (he tends to drain it all and go for the chunks) and he had seconds! I'm slowly converting them :) 

 

Ingredients:

For the soup:
7 cups low sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 cups water
2 chopped cloves garlic, divided
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 onion, chopped, divided
8oz can of tomato sauce
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
kosher salt and fresh pepper
12 oz dry cut up whole wheat spaghetti

For the meatballs:
16 oz 99% lean ground turkey
1 small egg
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
In a soup pot over medium heat, bring chicken broth, water, crushed garlic, italian seasoning, 1/4 of the chopped onion, tomato sauce, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh black pepper to a boil; simmer about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs by combining ground turkey, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic powder, remaining onion, italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Form into little 1 inch meatballs (about 36).

Drop meatballs into the broth, cook about 3 minutes; add pasta and cook according to package directions. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Buffalo Chicken Chili

This recipe was absolutely delicious (and low cal/fat)! My only complaint is that it didn't make a lot so that I could freeze half. Next time I'm going to double it, or triple it! This is perfect football food -You can make it in advance and then keep it warm in your crockpot for the day. We ate ours with multi-grain scoops as "nachos" but it is also great with a spoon! I enjoyed mine with crumbled blue cheese and Rich topped his with sharp cheddar. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

 

1 pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground

1 can of light beer beer or chicken broth (use the beer!!)

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup hot sauce (or to taste) - Franks Red Hot!

salt and pepper to taste

Toppings: crumbled blue cheese, feta cheese, cheddar cheese

 

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken in a large pan over medium heat and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the pan, add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the beer or broth and deglaze the pan.
5. Add chicken, tomatoes, beans, paprika, oregano, cayenne and hot sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Serve with topping of your choice.

Recipe comes from Closet Cooking

Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup

This soup is only 300 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving (2 cups!) It has all of the flavor of stuffed peppers but it takes half the time to prep! Also, it's great comfort food without being unhealthy. We all really enjoyed it (even the kids ate it without complaint!)

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 cup diced onion
1 - 2 tsp minced garlic
28 oz can diced tomatoes w/ the juice
6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped green pepper (i used 1 green pepper, 1 orange, 1 yellow
and 1 red)
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
2 TBSP brown sugar, packed
1 tsp dried basil
ground black pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

(it calls for 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon but i didn't add it)

In a large skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat
until browned / drain any juices and transfer mixture to a slow
cooker

Add remaining ingredients and stir gently to mix. Cook on low for 8-9
hours / add water to thin if necessary. The soup will really thicken up over the cooking period.

Serve over additional brown rice* and sprinkle with Parm cheese

Makes 6 cups.

I made additional brown rice to place in the bottom of our bowls to make it more hearty.

White Chicken Chili - Crockpot

I was a little skeptical about how this chili would taste since I've only ever made traditional chili's. However, this was SO good. It was creamy, but not heavy and packed a nice bit of heat without being too spicy. It was perfect football food on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
3- 4 cups cooked chicken (I used shredded chicken from one of my crockpot rotisserie chickens)
1 jar (15 ounces) LITE Alfredo sauce
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1-1/2 cups frozen gold and white corn
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Salsa verde, optional

Directions:
In a large slow cooker, combine the first 15 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated though, stirring once. Serve with salsa verde if desired.

Yield: 12 servings (1 cup each).


recipe adapted from taste of home

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I absolutely love Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheese soup but we don't have a Panera here, so I found a knock-off recipe. I have to say, if I had an authentic bowl and a bowl of the impostor side by side I wouldn't be able to tell one from the other. The prep time is very long so I wouldn't recommend tackling this on a weeknight. We served ours with homemade bread bowls, yum!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:

Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.

Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.

Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.

Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

recipe from Food.com

Crockpot Taco Chili

This is one of our favorite versions of chili. It takes the classic chili up a few notches. It's also great to eat piled on top of tortilla chips to kick-up nachos. We like to add sour cream, cheddar cheese and crushed up tortilla chips to ours.

This recipe makes a huge amount so you can freeze 1/2!

1 tbsp minced garlic
2 cans of kindey beans, drained
2 cans of pinto beans, drained
2 cans of black beans
2 cans of corn, drained
2 large cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans tomatoes and chiles
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger (optional.)
shredded cheese and sour cream for embellishment (optional, unless you're in my house. then it's mandatory.)

Directions:

saute garlic, onions and pepper in evoo. add meat and brown.
drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)
sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat
drain and rinse the beans and add
add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans
stir.

cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5.

*courtesy of  Crockpot365

Baked Potato Soup

This is the most flavorful soup. It is so easy to make and super filling. Plan on being full for hours and hours after eating a bowl of it.

This soup is so hearty it can be served by itself. Of course, if you want to throw a hunk of bread on the side of it, I doubt anyone will complain.

Ingredients:

4/5 large baked potatoes - i used 6 to make it more hearty
1 stick butter
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp flour (approximately)
7 cups fat free milk
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb turkey bacon
1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
1 cup fat free sour cream
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the bacon until it's nice and crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to soak up the grease.
Cut up your baked potatoes. I sliced mine lengthwise and peeled the skin off with my fingers.

Melt the butter with the chopped onion in your soup pot. Add in the flour to make a roux. Then add in your milk (slowly). Continue whisking to make everything smooth. Continue whisking until the broth thickens.

Add in your potatoes, salt and pepper.Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking.

Crumble and add in your bacon. Then add in the cheese and sour cream. Stir until the cheese is melted.

recipe adapted from Three Pugs & a Baby

Beef Stew

I got this recipe from a friend last winter during one of the Maryland blizzards. I was looking for a simple crockpot food that would warm us all up after all that shoveling. It's easy & a perfect winter dinner. Plus its a crockpot meal, which I am a huge fan of! This makes a huge crockpot full so be prepared to freeze leftovers!

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef cubes
2 TABLESPOON olive oil
1/2 sm yelllow onion chopped
1 can low sodium tomato soup
2 cans diced tomatoes with seasonings added (Don't drain! I usually get the Contadina diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning)
1 1/2 cup beef stock
1 TBS garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon Low Sodium Salt
1 teaspoon minced onion
4-5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled & cut into bite size chunks
1/4 cup Red Wine (optional - adds sweetness and helps keep the meat tender but I usually only add it if I already have a bottle on hand open)


How to make:
Sprinkle raw beef cubes with a pinch of s&p on each side. Place the beef cubes in a pan with 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side (just until slightly browned on the outside). Drain.

Put the slightly browned beef in crockpot, add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for about 8 hours. If you are crunched on time, you can cook it on high for about 5 hours but the slow cooking makes the beef much more tender. I usually do a "taste test" after about 6 hours. You may need a pinch more of something or another and by then you should be able to tell.

Serve with warm french bread or biscuits.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is pretty much a dump and serve recipe. Super easy and yummy!

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts cooked (shredded or cubed)

3 garlic cloves

1 can Rotel

1 can beef broth

1 can chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato soup

1 can black beans - drained

2 small onions, diced

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cilantro

Directions:

saute' onion & garlic in olive oil in a large soup pot

combine all ingredients, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Tortellini Soup

I love this soup. I like to make the broth and let it simmer for most of the day to really enhance the flavor. Plus, it makes the house smell so good. I double this recipe and freeze half, or give half to someone who has recently had a baby, illness, etc. It's so easy, too!

Ingredients:
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
2 cloves To 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (14.5 Oz. Can) Crushed Or Diced Tomatoes (Or 1 Quart Home Canned Tomatoes)
2 quarts Chicken Broth (or Vegetable)
1 pound Tortellini, Frozen Or Fresh
1 bag (6 Oz.) Fresh Baby Spinach
Salt
Pepper
½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Preparation Instructions



Directions:
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and broth. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini has about a minute left to cook, add the spinach. Once spinach is added, salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.


from the pioneer woman

Maryland Crab Soup

This is a classic recipe and soooo good. Perfect for all occasions. If you live around the Parkville/Carney area, email me. I know the perfect store for great crabmeat prices.

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, cut into small pieces
3 cups water
2 cups beef broth (i use reduced sodium)
1 cup lima beans, frozen
1 cup baby carrots, sliced
1 1/2 cup yellow sweet corn, frozen
2 tablespoons Chopped Onions (can use minced onions also)
2 tablespoons old bay (more to taste, depends on how spicy you like it)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (more to taste, i prefer a bit more)
1 tsp salt
1 pound crabmeat (lump, deshelled)
Optional: 1/2 lb of claw meat (usually pretty cheap to buy and adds great flavor to the soup but not necessary)

TO MAKE:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on med/low heat for at least 3o minutes. Add more Old Bay and fresh pepper to taste. Let simmer on low for at least one hour. The flavors are better if you let the soup simmer longer. If it gets too watery, turn it on med/high heat for 20 minutes - it thickens the soup (thanks hol.... lol!)