Taco Soup

Being that it's feeling like a soup and biscuits day...here's a new soup recipe that was given to me by a friend.  The flavor is fantastic and the consistency is somewhere between a chili and a soup.  The base of the soup is V8 and it adds a great flavor to it.  My V8 came in a large container and I was able to freeze the leftover juice for the next batch.

Snuggle in and enjoy a bowl of soup and a good book today!

3/4 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef 1/2 cup chopped White Onion (I prefer red) 1/2 cup chopped Bell Pepper 1 (1-1/4 ounces) package Taco Seasoning Mix 4 cups Vegetable Juice Cocktail 1 cup Medium or Hot, Thick and Chunky Salsa 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese Toppings: Sour Cream, shredded Lettuce, sliced Green Onion, chopped Tomato, Tortilla Chips

1. Add ground beef, onion, and green pepper to large stockpot. Brown over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Use wooden spoon to stir and crumble beef. 2. Drain off all excess fat. 3. Stir in taco seasoning mix. Simmer 1 minute. 4. Stir in vegetable juice and salsa. Simmer 5 minutes. To serve: 1. Ladle soup into serving bowls. 2. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese. 3. Garnish with desired toppings

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I'm really getting into the fall soups right now. It's solving my lunchtime dilemmna. I love having my husband work in town and come home for lunch every day - but along with that comes having to plan something for lunch and supper every day. Soup is the perfect solution. A bowl of soup and a bun is great for a couple of days a week.

This soup is a Kraft recipe. The entire thing is done in the microwave and it only takes 30 minutes from start to end. We used to make this soup in our microwave in my last workplace and people could never figure out what smelled so good when they came in to renew their plates or insurance ;)

I've started using this basic recipe and mixing it up by adding chicken, turkey or sausage. You could also mix up the cheeses.

Loaded "Baked Potato" Soup

1lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed

14oz. chicken broth (I made my own this time)

1c. milk

3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled & divided

1c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 green onion sliced, divided

1/4c. sour cream

Microwave potatoes in large microwavable bowl on HIGH for 5 min., stirring after 2.5 min. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 min., stirring after 5 min. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher.

Reserve 2 tbsp. each bacon & cheese and 1 tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.

Serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.