cheddar potato soup

stay warm with this hearty soup. once again, i can't recall which magazine it came from. it has been in MY recipe book for years now. i offer you two time saving tips for this recipe.

#1- i use a hand blender right in the pot to avoid transfering small batches of soup into the blender.

#2- i have used canned potatoes to save time and it still came out AWESOME!

Enjoy!

Cheddar Potato Soup

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 T butter

4 cups potatoes, diced & peeled

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

¼ t pepper

Dash paprika

*Sauté onion & celery in butter until tender. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 min or until potatoes are tender. Puree small batches in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cheese, milk, and paprika. Simmer until cheese is melted. Serve with croutons.

Serves 8

Burrito Casserole - Ground Beef Casserole With Tortillas and Cheese

This is a tasty burrito casserole, made with ground beef, Cheddar cheese, burrito seasoning, refried beans, and tortillas. Use part chorizo sausage in this dish, or make it with all ground beef. Serve this easy, flavorful casserole with rice, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream.



Ingredients:
6 medium flour tortillas, soft taco size
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed, or more ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped jalapeno peppers, optional
1 package (1 ounce) burrito seasoning
1 can (approx. 15 ounces) refried beans
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
6 ounces shredded mild Cheddar cheese or blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses


Preparation:
Lightly grease a 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.
Slice tortillas into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Arrange half of the strips in the bottom of the baking dish. Set the remaining strips aside.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, chorizo, and onion until beef and sausage is no longer pink. Add the jalapeno peppers and burrito seasoning and stir to blend. Stir in the refried beans and continue cooking, stirring, until hot and bubbly.
Spoon the hot filling mixture evenly over the tortilla layer. Sprinkle with the diced tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Top with the remaining tortilla strips then sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.