Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients

1 Medium onion, diced

1 Stick unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons bacon grease (or unsalted butter)

½ Pound ground beef

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ Pound bacon, chopped finely

1 14.5oz Can chicken broth

¼ Cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

½ - ¾ Pound Yellow American cheese (or cheddar)

1 Quart half and half

1 Packet of Goya jamon (optional)

Salt and Black pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter and bacon grease in stockpot over medium heat and add onions, sauté until translucent.   Add vegetable oil to a skillet on medium-high heat; add beef and bacon cook until browned.   Remove beef and bacon with a slotted spoon, set aside. 

Add the flour to the stockpot and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the chicken broth and half and half, bring to a boil. 

The mixture should begin to thicken, add beef, cheese, bacon and Goya seasoning (this seasoning will give the soup a smoky bacon taste).  Stir to make sure your soup doesn’t clump.  Add salt and black pepper to taste. 

Serve with chopped lettuce and diced ripe tomatoes.  You can also place a buttermilk biscuit in the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup over it.  Enjoy! 

Nouvelle Onion Soup

Ingredients

8 Medium red onions, sliced thin

1 Large Vidalia onion, sliced thin

2 Dried bay leaves

3 Garlic cloves, finely minced

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

½ Cup brandy or Cognac

1 ½ Cups dry white wine

5 Cups beef broth

3 Cups of vegetable broth or water

1 Large beef bouillon cube (Knorr brand)

3 Sprigs of thyme

1 ½ Tablespoons kosher salt

½ Teaspoon ground black or white pepper

Crusty French/Italian bread, sliced and toasted

Swiss and Munster cheeses

Oven safe soup bowls/soup cups

Directions

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and butter, add the onions, garlic and bay leaves, sauté until golden brown (approximately 25minutes). Sprinkle flour over onions and continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Now time to deglaze (adding a liquid to a pot to remove all the brown bits of goodness at the bottom of the pot). Add the brandy/Cognac and simmer for 5 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pot. Stir constantly as to avoid having any lumps of flour. Add the white wine and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, make sure all the brown bits have dissolved.

Now it’s time to add the broths/water, bouillon cube, salt, pepper and thyme, bring to a boil. Continue to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and the stems from the thyme. Test if the soup needs additional salt.

Place a slice of the toasted bread in the bottom of each oven safe soup bowls/cups, and ladle in enough soup to nearly reach the edge of the bowl/cup. Cover the top of the soup with 1 slice of Munster cheese and 1 slice of Swiss cheese (more if you so desire). Move broiler rack to approximately 4-6 inches from the flame and slide your bowls of soup in, remove when cheese is melted and slightly browned. Careful they will be super hot… Serve immediately. Enjoy!