This is not the greatest picture. It is before I added the half and half, but I was in a hurry.
1/2 lb ground beef (I had some cooked and in freezer)
Potatoes (I used what was left of a bag of potatoes O’Brien probably about 1-1/2 cups)
½ onion diced (onion is in potatoes O’Brien, so I didn’t add this)
3-4 strips of fresh red and green pepper, diced (included in potatoes O’Brien, so didn’t add)
5-6 carrots chopped
3 cups chicken broth
½ block cream cheese cut into cubes
1-2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Velveeta (I used a can of Campbells cheese soup)
1 Hidden Valley Ranch packet
Cayenne pepper to taste (We like things spicy so I added this)
2-3 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream
1 qt Half and Half
Crumbled, cooked bacon
Green onions for garnish
Garlic Salt and black Pepper
You can make this on the stovetop too, but I needed an easy soup that could cook during the day. So I chose the crockpot. Normally, I sautee my carrots, onions and peppers ahead of time. I was planning on having this cook on low 8+hours so I skipped this step. Add cooked hamburger, potatoes O’Brien, carrots, ranch packet, cream cheese, cheese soup and chicken broth to crockpot. Let cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours. Stirring as you can (I was at work, so stirring wasn’t really an option) I made sure to mix everything really well before I left and then I added half and half. When I got home from work I added salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. I already had cooked bacon on hand. If you don’t make sure you cook your bacon while soup is cooking. Top with the shredded cheese, sour cream, bacon crumbles and green onions.
kitchencounselorblog 