Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

A flavorful,  meaty, thick soup that  you'll love if you like stuffed green peppers.  For some reason many people seem to consider soup as 'winter' food, but if you have access to a garden overflowing with green peppers in the summer, a pot of this soup is a perfect way to use them. Provided by a restaurnt in Kentucky, this recipe first appeared in Taste of Home about a dcade ago.

Make life even easier by buying a pouch of cooked rice, or make extra some night so you'll have leftovers specifically for this soup. I've used both brown rice and mixed wild-and-white rice, but plain white rice works the best.

In a large pot, brown 2 lbs. ground beef and drain it. Add 28 oz diced canned tomatoes & their juice,  28 oz tomato sauce,  8 c. water, 2 c. cooked rice, 2 c. chopped green pepper, 2 beef bouillon cubes, 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar (use brown sugar twin or splenda if you wish), 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30-40 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Like most soups and stews,  the flavor is just as good or better when reheated.

Serves 6-8 hungry people

Loaded to the Top Baked Potato Soup

One of the first recipes I clipped from Taste of Home when it was a new magazine,  this thick soup is a winner.   As you toss  the  ingredients into the pot at the end, save  bit of the bacon, cheese, & green onions  for a  garnish.

In a large pot, melt 2/3 c butter; stir in 2/3 c. flour, 3/4  tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir until smooth, for  about 2 minutes.  Gradually add 7 cups milk, stirring constantly until thickened.  Add about 4 cups baked potatoes,  cubed, and 4 green onions, sliced.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer for 0 minutes.  Add  12 strips cooked crumbled bacon, 1  c. sour cream, and 1 1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.  Makes 2 1/2 quarts, to serve about 8.