You can has...

(Yes, okay, maybe it's a played-out joke, but I need some humor of some kind).

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

I'm going to give this as the book gives it, but will note the changes I made. The original recipe was from Bernice Hannula.

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
4 cups peeled diced potatoes
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces cheese
1 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Brown the beef (I used a frying pan) and set aside. (I added a little garlic powder to the beef, since I limit salt and can't use celery or carrot).  In your soup pot, melt 1 T butter and saute the onion, carrots, and celery (I left the carrots and celery out - allergies). Add the broth, beef, herbs, and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender (10-12 minutes, but I think it took 15 with mine). Melt 3 T butter in a fry pan (I just wiped out the one I did the beef in) and add the flour. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes until bubbly and then add to the soup and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the cheese (I used shredded cheddar cheese, and I used a little less than 8 ounces) and milk. Add the salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

This makes a rather rich and very filling soup (and lots of it). I think you could get 8-12 servings out of a batch depending on what else you served and how hungry people are. And I also think you can add things to the recipe - I think it would be good with canned whole or crushed tomatoes added in addition to, or in place of, the potatoes. Or you could add cooked broccoli or cauliflower if you like that. Or green beans, to make the soup a little more vegetabley. Or corn. Or you could go southwest with different seasonings and use "queso" cheese and tomatoes and chilies. You could expand the soup for more people with more broth and vegetables, and more meat if you want. (I think this would be an excellent soup for a "casual winter party" like a bowl-game watching party or a come-and-go New Year's Day party....I think you could keep the soup warm in a crock pot set on "warm" or "low")

Fortunately it reheats well....and I'm going to see if it freezes well (I am slightly concerned about the sour cream in it. I suppose if you were making it to freeze, you could leave that out and then add it as you heat up the soup)