Steak Soup

First of all, not sure why this is called Steak Soup, but whatever.
I am really bad at letting the kids cook with me. I feel like we have very limited usable counter space and I like to just do it myself, BUT I am really working on that because I know it's good for them to learn their way around the kitchen and they really enjoy cooking. It's getting easier to let them help as they get older too.
We do "helper weeks" at our house because it's the best way for me to keep track of who gets to be my kitchen helper. This week Peter is my helper so I let him look through some cookbooks to choose something to make and this soup from Fix it and Forget it was his choice-

2 lbs ground chuck, drained and browned
5 cups of water (I used beef broth and eliminated the boullion below)
1 lg onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
10 oz bag frozen mixed veggies
5 Tbsp beef boullion granules (or 5 cubes)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp salt

1. Combine chuck, water, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, mixed veggies, beef granules, and pepper in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours or High 4-6 hours.
3. One hour before serving, turn to High. Make a paste of melted butter and flour. Stir until smooth. Pour into slow cooker and stir until well blended. Add salt.
4. Cover. Continue cooking on High until thickened.

I just realized that I forgot to do step #3- oops. Oh well, ours was actually healthier then!

Tortellini Soup

This is what we had for lunch yesterday instead of canned tomato soup-

1 pound ground turkey or sirloin
1 (28 oz) can pureed tomatoes
1 (11 1/2 oz ) can french onion soup
1 (9oz) pkg fresh cheese tortellini
1 (9oz) pkg frozen green beans
1 tsp dried basil
3 1/2 cups water
1 medium zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

In a large pot, brown the meat. Add tomatoes, onion soup, green beans, tortellini, basil, and water. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occassionally. Cook uncovered 5 minutes, add zucchini, cook 5 minutes more.

Here's how I changed it- I added a can (11 1/2 oz) of beef broth and a can of water. Also, I didn't cook the tortellini as long as the recipe said (the package said it only needed 5 minutes) because I was afraid it would be mushy and fall apart.

Chili- my own

This is a winter staple for sure. I'd serve it once a week, but I've been told that's too often. We probably eat it twice a month in the winter though. The great thing about chili is it's hard to mess it up. I KNOW there are fancier recipes out there, but I love the simplicity of this one!

1 pound of ground beef
1 tsp of minced garlic (from a jar)
cumin
chili powder
salt
pepper
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1/2 jar salsa
1 can tomato soup
1 can water

I brown the beef in a large pot, along with the garlic and the seasonings (I don't measure, I just eye them). Drain the grease. Then open those cans and throw everything in! Sometimes I put it all in the crock pot. Other times I put it all together and we eat when it's heated through. Our favorite side is corn bread (especially from Trader Joe's when we can get our hands on some), but we also like to eat it with baked potatoes and some broccoli. This recipe makes enough for my family with a little bit leftover, but my kids don't eat huge bowls. We also like to top it with sour cream and cheese- pepper jack is great for those who like some extra kick!