Something Old and Something New

For our new soup this week I wanted to try cheeseburger soup, but the recipe in my fave magazine is not a crock pot version and I knew that I would not have time to make it the "normal" way, so I went on hunt for a crock pot recipe.  I found several, but this one was the one I decided to try.
I found the recipe here http://crockpotladies.com/recipe-categories/soups-stews/crockpot-cheeseburger-soup-2/

Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients
1 Pound of Ground Hamburger
1 Yellow Onion Diced (I just used my frozen onions.)
1 Tablespoon of Garlic, minced
1 Can (14.5 ounce) Diced Tomatoes
6 Strips of Cooked Bacon, Broken up into Pieces (I didn't add the bacon.  I think I would rather add it in the end anyway.)
2 Stalks of Celery, Chopped thin (I put in 1 cup)
2 Cups of Potatoes, Cubed (any kind will work well for this recipe) (I cut up 3 medium sized potatoes)
1 Cup of Shredded Carrots
8 Ounce of Cream Cheese Cubed
4 Cups of Chicken Broth
2 Teaspoons of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Pepper
1 Cup of Milk
1/4th Cup of Flour
2 Cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Instructions
Cook the hamburger until brown and no longer pink (I cooked my onions with the meat.)
Add the cans of diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, celery, garlic, potatoes and carrots with the hamburger and onions into the crock pot.
Make sure the cream cheese is in small cubes and place in with the crock mixture.
Pour the chicken broth over the mixture.
Cook on low for 8 hours. (I had some soup after only 7 hours and unfortunately my potatoes weren't quite done.  I don't know if I cut the pieces too big or if I just didn't let them cook long enough.)
When you have a few minutes left before the soup is done, mix the flour and milk together with a whisk, whisking until it’s completely mixed and no chunks are left.
If you have cream cheese that hasn't melted, scoop it out and mix it well with the milk, flour mixture.
Add the milk, flour mixture into the crock and stir it in well.
Add the cheese in and mix in.
Re-Cover for about 10 minutes, cheese should be melted when your ready to eat.

I won't say that this soup is one of my new favorites, but it was good.  It definitely has potential :)

I used to enjoy making soup for the staff at my school in Korea, but it has been awhile since I've had a group to share soup with, so I decided to make soup for the staff at the school when I have been interning this semester.  I gave them some options and they chose to try one of my favorites!  When I made this soup for the first time a couple of years ago, it instantly became a favorite.  I liked it so much that I sent the recipe out in my Christmas cards that year.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients
3 cans (15 1/2 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups of cubed cooked chicken (I put a pack of chicken tenderloins in the crock pot with water and a can of green chilies so that I would have some yummy shredded chicken.)
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies (I cooked one with the chicken and then added the other one to the soup)
1 1/2 cups frozen gold and white corn (I have never been able to find a package of frozen gold and white corn, but I did find canned so I used that.  This time I used one can of gold and one of white.)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded pepper Jack cheese (I just use one package, 2 cups, of shredded pepper Jack - no Monterey)
1 cup sour cream
1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped (I haven't added this in the past because colorful peppers can be expensive, but I did add it this time and it was a nice addition.  I don't think it's necessary, but it adds a veggie.)
1 small onion, chopped (I used 1 cup of frozen onions)
3 garlic gloves, minced (I used 1 tbsp of minced garlic from the jar that I have)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp white pepper
1 to 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I did not want to spend the money to get all of these seasonings separate, so I bought a white chili seasoning package at Wal-Mart.)
May add cilantro if desired.

Combine ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.  Serve with tortilla chips.
This soup has a kick too it, but it's not too spicy.  You could leave out the green chilies if you want it be more mild.
I think this batch is one of the best I have made!  Definitely still one of my favorites!!  The soup was a hit at school and I hope it will be for you too!!  Enjoy :)