Killer Hamburger Soup By Robert Owens

As unemployment creeps up, families are looking for more ways to stretch their budgets. recession based budgeting in the kitchen is a good way to reduce your expenses.

This article looks at one type of meal that is inexpensive, full of good tasting ingredients that can be modified to taste and easy to make within 30 minutes.

You can make more than enough for one dinner and have for leftovers or frozen in small containers to be savored as future lunches. Using a Dutch Oven or Crock pot for this meal is preferred, but any large pot will do.

Of course, hamburger is the main ingredient, but there can be infinite variations based on preference.

Broth: Once the Hamburger is cooked, drain the excess grease and place into the pot. Boiling the hamburger is another way of reducing some of the fat content. Once brown, add a can of Beef or vegetable broth to the meat will provide a healthy base and a starting flavor to the dish.

Tomato Base: Many variations include Stewed or Diced Tomatoes, but you can flavored tomato mixtures you can find in stores today to adjust the flavor... Some brands include different seasonings like Italian, Chipotle and chile spices the tomato flavor.

Vegetable Medley: The concoction can have multiple vegetable combinations, based on preference. Potatoes, carrots and onions are the most commonly used in this category. Even here you have some flexibility... No matter what type of potato you use, leaving the outside skins on will add more taste. Obviously, you want to wash the potatoes thoroughly before adding to the soup. New potatoes are small enough that they can be added without being diced, which can reduce the time and effort for preparation. Red, russet or fancy potatoes can be added...whatever you have in stocked in your fridge or pantry will be just fine.

Added Flavors: As the Hamburger soup cooks, the number of ingredients you can use to increase flavor to the dish are countless. Based on preference and taste; Ketchup, Soy Sauce and even some beef bullion cubes can be added to the broth to not only thicken the mixture, but provide a sweet texture. Adding cornstarch paste will thicken the soup into a more gravy like texture.

Hamburger soup is easy, inexpensive and good for the entire family... Whether you use a Dutch Oven or Crock pot, this dish is a great meal for small or large families looking to stretch their food dollars.

This Hamburger Soup Video is another variation, but shows what you can do with this dish...

See more ways you can cook easy meals in minutes Easy-Home-Cooking.com

Onion Soup - Country Style With Cheese and Bread By Susan McGourty

Onion Soup is a classic country recipe favorite. It's a great choice when you're on a strict budget. Onion soups have been popular with poor people as far back as Roman times, because onions were always easy and plentiful to grow. And the ingredients of the soup were almost always at hand: beef or chicken broth, onions, cheese and dry bread. Onion soup got re-popularized in the 1960's by Julia Child with her cookbooks and television shows. It was one of her favorite soups.

This recipe is a recipe my mother-in-law taught me, and then I gave it my personal touch. This recipe has got to be one of the best-tasting onion soups we've ever tasted! First a large quantity of thinly sliced onions are cooked down into a caramelized mixture of thinly sliced onions. Then broth is added to give the soup its liquid and it's slowly simmered for a couple of hours.

To serve, you place a slice of toasted French bread in the bottom of each soup bowl, and top each slice of bread with a slice of Gruyere Cheese. Then you ladle in the hot thick onion soup on top of the bread and cheese. Then sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and a little paprika for accent and place in the oven until bubbly and lightly browned.

Oh My God! Is this ever good! It's so very elegant, inexpensive to make and wonderfully filling! You never have to be embarrassed to serve this soup! This is an easy straight-forward recipe that's a perfect choice If you have the time required to cook-down the onions, and the time it takes for the soup to simmer.(Or make the soup a day in advance! It only gets better!) Also, if you use a Food Processor to slice the onions (2mm,) the prep process is much easier.

You can serve this soup in small bowls as an appetizer, or larger bowls as an entree. Because I use a combination of both chicken and beef broth, it's very filling. You won't miss "the meat!" Just serve it with a nice salad and a glass of red wine! The recipe below is for the entree-sized soup bowls.

Preparation time: 30
minutes Cooking time: 2 hours
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 Extra-large onions , thinly sliced
• 5 to 6 Medium Cloves garlic ,chopped
• 3 ounces unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 Cup flour
• 1 Large Can (49 ounces) reduced sodium Chicken broth
• 1 Package (32 ounces) reduced sodium Beef broth
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
• French Bread
• 8 to 12 Slices Gruyere Cheese
• 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Paprika
• 6 Oven-proof soup bowls

Preparation Directions.

1. In a large stockpot, melt thebutter over medium-low heat. Add in the olive oil. and warm-up.
2. Add in the sliced onions,separating the onion segments, giving the onions plenty of volume. As the onions start to cook down, be sure to bring up the oil-butter from the bottom of the pot and keep folding over the onions. You may need to add additional olive oil if the mixture starts to burn.
3. Simmer onions until lightly golden. Add in the garlic and mix throughly throughout the onion mixture.
4. When the garlic is fragrant, add in the salt and pepper then stir a couple of times more then sprinkle in the flour. Blend the flour into the onion-garlic mixture and cook for two to three minutes stirring constantly.
5. Add in the Chicken broth and stir well. Then add in the Beef broth and stir well to combine.
6. Add in the Thyme and Poultry Seasoning. Stir well to distribute throughout the soup.
7. Partially cover with lid and let simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Correct seasonings.
8. Just before dinner, cut a loaf of French bread into half-inch slices. Toast lightly on both sides under the broiler.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
10. Place each slice of bread in bottom of soup bowls. Top each slice of bread with a slice of Gruyere cheese.
11. Ladle in the hot onion soup over the bread in each bowl. Fill up each bowl to almost the top of bowl.
12. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on tops of soup. Accent with a dash of paprika for presentation.
13. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes -or until bubbly
14. Serve and get ready for Bliss!

Serving Suggestions.

This soup is such a show-stopper! Serve with a nice salad and a glass of red wine such as a Sangiovese or Zinfandel.

Susan McGourty is a resident and vineyard owner on the California Central Coast. A former restaurant owner and professional cook, she writes about food and cooking techniques and is the food and recipe editor for TheRomanticTable.Com. Her cooking and recipe blog is at http://theromantictable.com/cooking-with-sue.php

For more recipes, food and wine news and ideas, visit the TheRomanticTable.Com http://theromantictable.com - an online magazine about food, wine and recipes from the California Central Coast.