Cream Cheese Spinach Soup

Rich, rich, rich, and velvety.  A luxurious-tasting treat for any occasion, from tailgate to formal dinner, and so easy to put together.

In a large Dutch oven, combine 50 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed &  well drained, and 3 cups half and half ( fat free works great). Cover and cook over medium-low heat until heated through. Add 24 oz cream cheese, cubed, 15 oz chicken broth, 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 3/4 c Parmesan cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring constantly,  until cheese is melted and soup is very hot.  Serves 12...... easy to make just half if you need to.

Las Vegas Ravioli Beef Soup

This very good thick soup is a recipe from Sam's Town Gambling Hall in Vegas.

http://www.samstown.com/

It really is better the second day so try to plan ahead. It's also very forgiving- I just made it again after a long time and too late, found that not only did I not have celery or carrots on hand, but I'd thawed a package of ground chuck instead of a steak. It still tasted great. I did have some cabbage so I threw in a handful, finely shredded, to make up for the missing veggies. Use tortellini instead of ravioli if you like, as I did this week.

Toss 1/2 lb sirloin, cut in 1/4" dice, with 2 TB flour in a bowl. Melt 1 TB butter in a large dutch oven over medium high eat. Cook til beef is browned, transfer to another dish. (Or, brown 1 lb ground chunk and use it instead!)

To the big pan, add 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, and one onion, all chopoped, with 1 TB garlic, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring, about 3-5 minutes, until veggies are lightly browned. Add about 30 oz (more or less) of beef broth, 28 oz canned diced tomatoes in juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 c. water with the cooked beef. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium for about 30 minutes, til veggies are tender. Then add about 9 oz refrigerated beef ravioli or tortellini. Cook 10 minutes, stir occasionally. If using frozen pasta, let it thaw first.

In a cup, combine 2 TB flour with 1 TB cornstarch and 2 TB water- whisk til smooth. Add to soup and boil 1 more minute. Makes 8 cups. And really, try to wait til the next day to eat it. Just cool a bit and refrigerate til the next day. You might try it with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the top.