Slow Cooker Beef Ravioli Soup

Slow Cooker beef Ravioli Soup

Most really good soups are an all-day affair with some babysitting here and there. This one cooks for 6 hours all by itself before it needs any tending. It's hearty enough for a full meal on its own and uses frozen ravioli, one of the most versatile ingredients in a busy family's pantry.

Slow Cooker Beef Ravioli Soup
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 7 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 8


Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic - minced
1 pound lean ground beef
8 cups beef stock
2 cups baby carrots cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound frozen meat-filled ravioli
2 cups frozen cut green beans
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Brown beef and onion together in oil, adding garlic at the end and stirring well. Drain well and pour into the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker.
2. Pour in stock and carrots and cook over LOW heat for 6 hours. Check carrots for tenderness.
3. Add ravioli, green beans, bay leaf and thyme. Switch heat setting to HIGH and cook for 1 hour.
4. Stir in tomato sauce and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and heat for another half hour over HIGH heat.
5. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Real Beef Soup

Beef Vegetable Soup

When I was a child I honestly don't recall many soups being served that didn't come from a red and white can. There were navy beans and cornbread (not really soup) and mom's split pea with ham (still a favorite today), but other than that we were soup-less unless it was prepackaged.

I do remember one phase that mom went through which was making soups from canisters of "Homemade Soup Starter". Even as a kid I detected an "off" taste to each and none was my favorite. For some reason the one that stands out the most is the beef soup.

It was a small cardboard canister filled with dehydrated veggies, powdered soup stock and small pasta shells. The only thing the consumer was to do was to "Add 1 lb. of beef cubes" and the requisite amounts of water and stew away.

It worked, but it honestly didn't work well. I still haven't come across a soup from a package that I truly love. Here, then is my fresh version of that canister of soup.

Beef Vegetable Soup
Serves 8
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours 20 minutes

1 1/2 pounds beef cubes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 medium onion - chopped
2 medium carrots - peeled and diced
2 stalks celery - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
3 medium potatoes - peeled and diced
1 cup finely diced tomatoes
8 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh Thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 cup small shell pasta
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup fresh or frozen cut green beans

1 Combine beef cubes, salt and pepper and stir.
2. In a large heavy bottomed soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and add beef. Brown on all sides.
3. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are translucent.
4. Pour in stock. Stir and add potatoes and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours until veggies and beef are very tender.
5. Add bay leaf and thyme. Add remaining veggies and pasta and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaf and taste for seasoning before serving.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Soup

Leftovers aren't usually very copious in this house, but once in a while they happen. Last night was such a night. We had a favorite here and across the U.S.; meatloaf, mashed potatoes and buttered corn. Somehow I had quite a bit of each leftover and decided they would make a lovely soup. I was right.

You can leave out the corn or use a different vegetable and this will be just as good. I started with a basic mirepoix for flavor and went from there, layering ingredients until it was just right. You need to have a leftover meatloaf and pre-made mashed potatoes on hand for this. If you have gravy on-hand, replace beef stock with whatever amount you have for added flavor.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Soup
Serves 8
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 large stalk celery - diced
1 medium carrot - diced
1 medium red onion - diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic - minced
6 cups beef stock
4 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup corn kernels
4 thick slices (1/2-inch) leftover meatloaf - cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Stir and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add stock and lower to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
3. Stir in mashed potatoes and corn until potatoes are broken up and smooth. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add meatloaf cubes and heat through - about 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Simple Beef Stew

Simple Beef Stew

The first time I made beef stew I was 17 and I caught sight of a recipe in a magazine; Seventeen, to be exact.     I followed the recipe to the letter and was pleased with the results. Now that I'm older and have studied and experienced  food quite a bit more I still love a simple beef stew, with a little extra flavor thrown in.

This is the recipe I use most often, usually minus the peas and mushrooms because the kids detest both, but when I make it for me, they're throw in. Herbs can be to your liking, but I never make meat stews without fresh thyme. I just really like the flavor and I always have some on-hand.

Simple Beef Stew
Printable Recipe
Serves 8
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1" cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine or dark beer
3 cups beef stock
2 cloves garlic - minced
4 ounces tomato paste
1 medium onion cut into eighths and separated
2 pounds small new potatoes - cut in half if larger than a golf ball
1 pound peeled baby carrots
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
8 ounces fresh baby button mushrooms
1 - 10 ounce package frozen peas

Directions:


1. Coat beef cubes in 1/4 c flour and shake off excess. Salt and pepper well.
2. Heat oil in a heavy stock or soup pot. Brown meat in oil.
3. Add wine or beer, stock, garlic, tomato paste and onion.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until meat is tender.
5. Add carrots, potatoes, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until vegetables are tender.
6. Add peas and cook for 5 minutes. Serve.

Beef Nacho Soup

In their most basic form, nachos are simply corn tortilla chips and melted cheese. This soup takes the seasoned beef, cheese, tortillas, tomatoes and chili peppers and combines them in a bowl of steaming yumminess. That is too a word.

Anyway, there is one version of beef nacho soup that seems prolific across the web. Everyone posts it and it seems that everyone "owns" it, but it's exactly the same recipe. Beef, taco seasoning, cheese soup, diced tomatoes with green chilies and milk.

I have an aversion to canned soups in recipes. I've done it. I mean, I have 7 kids, of course I use shortcuts! But, when it comes to a soup blog, I can't conscionably tell you to use a canned soup in the preparation of another soup. That even sounds weird.

So, rather than use a highly processed can of soup, I used a highly processed block of cheese. Yep, I used Velveeta. I often use Velveeta for macaroni and cheese (it's killer - trust me) and it ads the right creaminess without separation like real cheddar.

Here's the recipe, with baked tortilla chips on top - because I had to assuage the Velveeta guilt somehow -  and fresh cilantro, sour cream and black olives as well, although you can top this soup however you top your nachos.

Beef Nacho Soup
Printable Recipe
Serves 6
Total Time: 30 minutes

1 pound ground beef
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic - minced
3 cups beef stock
1 can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
8 ounces Velveeta - cubed
Salt to taste
6 ounces tortilla chips
Garnishes such as: sour cream, black olives, fresh Cilantro, salsa, shredded cheese or sliced jalapeños.

1. Brown ground beef in a medium soup pot and drain off fat. Add spices and stir well.
2. Pour in stock and tomatoes. Heat over medium-low heat for 20 minutes so flavors can meld.
3. Add Velveeta and stir until melted and smooth. Salt to your liking.
4. Serve in bowls with toppings.

Meatball Fazool!

What? OK, let me explain. I'm cheating. No, not like that.

Being a fairly new single mom (but, highly spoken for ... haha, see what I did there?) I find myself making shortcuts here and there that I maybe didn't used to make. I work 55-60 hours a week at one job and when I have work elsewhere that can take a huge chunk of my time, as well. Between all the kids' needs and work and online commitments, I don't always have time to cook as I'd like.

That being said, this past week was a double-header as far as football goes. My boyfriend was watching the Eagles and right after, I was watching the Steelers (well, we watched both together, but you get the idea). Football watching is NOT to be done without some kind of not-so-good-for-you food.

A favorite here is mini meatball subs. Basically meatballs in any type of tomato sauce (this week it was one I made from fresh tomatoes) and little rolls about 4 inches in length. You can really only fit 3 meatballs in each so I usually have leftovers.

Add to that some cannellini beans, small pasta and a handful or celery, carrots and onions and you have Meatball Fazool - or a version of Pasta e Fagioli with meatballs thrown in. It's good.

So, no recipe, you can look HERE for that and swap out the tomatoes for sauce and add a pound of pre-made meatballs and,voilà - good stuff. I did half of everything as I only had half a pound of meatballs left. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

When I was growing up my mom made the absolute best stuffed peppers. As much as I love them, my kids don't so much so this soup combines the flavors I love and the texture and form that the kids will actually eat.

I debated putting rice in this because mom's stuffed peppers never had rice added to the meat mixture. I did add it, though because most people seem to be used to the meat/rice variety of stuffed peppers.

This turned out well and you can adjust the ingredient amounts to your liking without affecting the overall flavor very much. The consistency of this is closer to a stew than a soup. Adjust the stock to your liking to make it thinner.

Stuffed Pepper Soup
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

2  Tablespoons olive oil
1  small onion - chopped
1  clove garlic - minced
3 medium peppers (I use tri-color) - diced
1  pound meatloaf mix or lean ground beef
1 can crushed tomatoes - undrained (14 ounce)
6 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
1/2  cup  uncooked rice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste


In a large soup pot with a heavy bottom sauté onion, garlic, and green pepper in oil until tender. Stir meat into vegetables and cook until meat is browned, about 10 minutes, stirring often so meat is in small chunks. Stir in rice,  tomatoes, juice, stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is cooked. Adjust liquid if necessary.  Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Cajun Beef Soup

I had this in, of all places, a hospital cafeteria recently and it was so good I found myself pushing the ingredients around and taking notes so I would be able to recreate it. The only thing missing here is baby lima beans, which I find most people don't like much anyway (but I adore), so I left them out.

This is a thick and hearty soup closer to a stew and the flavor is very rich. Step up the heat however you like with more cayenne or even a good hot sauce. Substitute the spices and herbs for a good quality Cajun seasoning - a tablespoon or so should do it.

Cajun Beef Soup

Printable Recipe

Ready In: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Serves: 8-10

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced green pepper

2 cloves garlic

8 cups beef stock

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced potato

2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 cups black eyed peas

3 cups chopped cabbage

1 can diced tomatoes - undrained

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large soup pot brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Drain well.

2. Add garlic and beef stock and cover with a heavy lid. Simmer for half an hour until beef is very tender.

3. Add remaining ingredients and lid again. Simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soup is done when vegetables are tender and soup base is thick.

Harvest Meatball Stew

This stew just oozes fall flavors and colors. Even the kids like pumpkin this way and it's a fun change-up to the usual sweet preparation of their favorite squash. This recipe came from Cooking with Anne as my own submission to one of our Ready, Set, Cook! games. I made it up on the fly, but when I actually made it I found it was pretty spot-on. I've tweaked little bits here and there and love it the way it is now.

Harvest Meatball Stew
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg - lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
4 cups beef broth
2 cups peeled pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup peeled potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup carrots, cut into 1 inch dice
1 cup green beans in 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 cup thick applesauce or 1 apple peeled, cored and diced fine
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste
flour as needed to thicken

Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, nutmeg and salt together well. Form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and brown well in a large soup pot with a little oil.
Remove meatballs and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to pot and stir over medium heat until onion is barely translucent.
Add remaining ingredients except meatballs and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Add meatballs back into pot and simmer for an additional half hour. Remove from heat and take out the bay leaf.
Return to medium heat and thicken if necessary with flour and/or cornstarch with water.

Chili Cheese Dog Soup

One of America's favorite foods is the chili dog. In my family, it's the chili cheese dog. The kids loved this soup - minced onions and all. The bowl in the photo is garnished with ketchup, mustard and cheese, but you can add any condiment you usually like on your hot dog.

Chili Cheese Dog Soup
Printable Recipe
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion - minced
1 pound lean ground beef
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 packet Goya Sazon with cilantro (orange packet)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic - minced
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups beef stock
1 pound all beef hot dogs - cut into thin slices.
2 cups shredded cheddar

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat and add oil.
Cook onion in oil until translucent. Add beef and cook until browned. Drain excess oil.
Add in tomato paste and seasonings. Stir until well combined.
Pour in stock and stir well. Add hot dogs and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in cheese until smooth.
Serve topped with ketchup, mustard, cheese, onions, relish or any other hot dog condiment you like!

Reuben Soup

One of my favorite sandwiches has always been the Reuben. To me, the ultimate grilled cheese includes Swiss, even though the rest of my family rails and refuses to eat it.

This soup can easily go far overboard in the sodium arena, so care in rinsing the sauerkraut is vital. I also purchase the bagged variety of sauerkraut as it seems less salty. Using homemade beef stock before any salt has been added, or low-to-no sodium beef stock is also important. Season as needed at the end of cooking.

You can always put a rye crouton on top of the soup bowls, add the cheese and broil until melted, but I chose to cook the croutons with cheese separately and the result was just as good.

Of course, I made this first and then searched the web for similar soups and it seems that 'creamy Reuben soup' is the big thing out there. I like to stay true to flavors and be a little different, anyway - and this was something everyone liked - except for the cheese.

Reuben Soup
Printable Recipe
Ready In: 35 minutes
Serves: 8

1 pound deli sliced corned beef - chopped
2 pounds sauerkraut - rinsed well and drained
10 cups beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (omit if using rye bread with seeds)
8 slices rye bread (seeded or seedless if fine - see above)
8 ounces Swiss cheese - shredded
1 cup Thousand Island dressing

1. In a large soup pot, heat to boiling the stock, sauerkraut and corned beef. Reduce to a simmer, add bay leaf and caraway seeds, if using. Cook for 30 minutes.
2. While soup is cooking, heat broiler and spread one side of rye slices with 1 Tablespoon Thousand Island dressing each. Broil until golden brown.
3. Turn bread and spread the other side with 1 Tablespoon Thousand Island dressing each. Top with 1 ounce shredded Swiss cheese for each slice and broil until melted and bubbly.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and top with hot croutons. Top each with an extra dollop of dressing, if desired.

Ravioli and Meatball Soup

Yet another example of the fact that almost anything can be made into soup - this Ravioli and Meatball Soup is quick to get together and my kids ate it until the bottom of the pot was nearly dry. Top with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for an extra flavor boost.

The best part of this is that you can go vegetarian very easily by using TVP meatballs and vegetable stock.

Ravioli and Meatball Soup
Printable Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6-8

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion - chopped
2 small carrots - peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery - chopped
2 green onions - sliced green and white parts
8 cups chicken stock
1 pound pre-cooked meatballs
1 pound small cheese-filled ravioli

1. Heat oil in a medium soup pot over med-high heat.
2. Cook and stir vegetables until fragrant and translucent.
3. Add stock and bring to a boil.
4. Add ravioli and meatballs - bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until meatballs and ravioli are heated through and vegetables are tender.

Rich Meatball Stew

Stew is a favorite around here when the weather turns cooler and meatballs are a constant favorite, so this stew is well received. Any red wine can be used, but try not to get the store-bought 'cooking wine'. It's full of sodium and lacks the body of a good wine. Buy something you like to drink because this only uses a cup of wine and you'll want to put the rest to good use.

Rich Meatball Stew
Serves 6-8
Printable Recipe

2 lbs meatballs 2" in diameter each
2 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into quarters
1 lb baby carrots, peeled
1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I like a large grind)
2 cloves garlic - minced (if not already in the meatballs)
5 cups beef stock or broth
1 cup red wine
1 bay leaf
several sprigs of fresh thyme
flour and water to thicken, if necessary

Brown meatballs and drain well. Add remaining ingredients except flour and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until vegetables are tender and meatballs are done, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove bay leaf and thyme and thicken liquid with flour and water if needed.

This was first posted at Cooking with Anne on September 25, 2008

Vietnamese Pho

What in the world is Pho (properly pronounced, 'fuh')? According to everyone who has ever had it, it's near Heaven on Earth. Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup, commonly eaten for breakfast but equally good at any moment of the day.

Pho is one of those dishes that spurs on much discussion, from how long to cook the broth to exactly which garnishes are best and whether or not chicken Pho counts as 'real Pho'.

Never mind all that - the answers to everything you'd like to know about Pho are at Andrea Nguyen's website. Andrea Nguyen is the author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors and keeper of Viet World Kitchen. For Pho, there are three separate posts; the history and evolution, the secrets and techniques and the beef Pho recipe. I highly suggest reading all three, in the order given, before you undertake the making of Pho.

I'll let you get the recipe there and I'll simply tell you what I did that may or may not be different from the recipe that Ms. Nguyen offers.

1. For beef bones, I purchased cows feet. They are full of marrow, fat and flavor and the stock I got from them was perfect.

2. I didn't only char the onions and ginger, I also charred the bones. It may be habit from my own beef stock making, but I think the char on the bones adds to the overall flavor.

3. The rice noodles I used were labeled as 'Pad Thai' - which you can certainly use them for, but don't be fooled by the name, they're the same rice noodles used for many, many dishes.

4. There are no peppers in my photo, that's simply because the kids aren't big on the heat factor and that was one of their bowls.

5. Ms. Nguyen is RIGHT about the 3-hour simmer for the stock. The only reason it seems as if simmering longer is more flavorful is that there is evaporation and consequent concentration of the stock. If the full amount of liquid were to remain, you'd see that 3 hours is sufficient to extract the necessary flavors for this.

Philly Cheesesteak Soup

A few weeks ago I posted a recipe on Cooking with Anne for Philly Steve'steak, a friend's recipe for really awesome cheesesteaks. Ever since then I've been wanting to turn cheesesteaks into soup.

I made this on Sunday when my brother Mike and his girlfriend Betty were here. They thought it was great, and so did I!

This is similar to French Onion Soup - but I stopped short of it because that particular soup is so delicious in its own right that I want to post about it as well someday soon; besides, I have a story to go with it!

Philly Cheesesteak Soup
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 large green pepper, slide thinly
4 cups beef stock or broth
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic - minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 pound sandwich steaks - sliced into thin strips (NOT the pressed fake meat type)
4 thick slices Italian or French bread
8 ounces shredded provolone cheese

1. Saute onion and pepper in olive oil until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Add sandwich steak strips and cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown.
3. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, pepper and stock. Simmer until heated through.
4. Salt to taste.
5. Toast bread slices in the oven until lightly browned.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with crouton and cheese - place under broiler and heat until cheese is melted.

Moroccan Spiced Beef Stew with Sweet Potato Dumplings

This recipe is a creation based on one I have posted at Cooking with Anne. I took a traditional beef stew and twisted it slightly with Moroccan spices and the addition of sweet potato dumplings.

Moroccan Spiced Beef StewServes 6-8

Printable Recipe

2 Tablespoons oil

2 pounds beef stew cubes

2 large sweet potatoes - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 large white potatoes - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 large carrots - peeled and cut into 1 inch lengths

1 medium onion - cut into chunks

8 cups beef stock

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 -2 teaspoons cayenne pepper - this depends on your tastes

2 teaspoons salt

1. Heat oil in a large heavy soup pot and brown beef cubes well.

2. Add stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until vegetable are tender.

4. Thicken with flour and water now or wait until dumplings are done cooking.

Sweet Potato Dumplings

Makes 15 - 20 small dumplings

1/2 cup mashed sweet potato

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Combine sweet potato, milk and egg and stir until smooth.
2. Mix together flour, salt and baking powder and add to wet ingredients.

3. Stir well until a sticky dough forms.

4. Bring stew to a simmer and drop dumpling dough by teaspoonful onto hot liquid. Lid the pot.

5. Simmer for 10 minutes with lid on until dumplings are puffy and cooked through.

6. Thicken stew now, if desired.

Kitchen Sink Soup

This started out as Portuguese Bean Soup, which is really wonderful in its own right, but I had picked up so many recipes for it and they were all so different that I attempted to come up with a combination of my own.

Well, this is what resulted instead and was so good I had to write it down.
The name comes from feeling like I had put everything but the kitchen sink into this soup.

Kitchen Sink Soup
Printable Recipe

1 lb hot sausage - sliced (Portuguese chorizo is great but not necessary)
1 lb ground beef
2 quarts chicken or beef stock, broth, or bouillon
1 large onion - sliced thin
3 large cloves garlic - sliced thin
1 large green pepper - sliced thin
1 small head cabbage - sliced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
2 large cans kidney beans - drained
1 large potato - diced small
1 c small elbow macaroni - uncooked
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t basil

Brown onion, ground beef, and sausage in a large soup pot. Drain well. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until macaroni and potato are done, about 30 minutes.

Better second day reheated.