Creamy Potato & Hamburger Soup
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium while onion, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 cups chicken broth
6 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups frozen vegetable mix
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
In a large skillet, fry the ground beef and onions. Drain and put in your slow cooker. Fry the garlic until browned and fragrant. Add to the beef mixture in the crockpot. Add potatoes, broth, veggies, basil and parsley. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. You’ll want the potatoes to be tender and starting to dissolve slightly. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the milk, the whisk into the soup. Add the Velveeta and let it melt, stirring occasionally.
Note: for a little extra flavor stir in a 1/2 cup of sour cream along with the Velveeta

Creamy Spaghetti
1 pound spaghetti noodles
1 lb lean ground beef
24 oz spaghetti sauce
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package directions state. Drain the water from the pasta. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain the fat and add the marinara sauce to the meat. Simmer over low heat until the spaghetti is ready. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and garlic until smooth, creamy and well combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Place half of the cooked spaghetti in the bottom of the baking dish. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture over the spaghetti and spread as evenly as possible. Spread with half of the meat mixture. Repeat the layers once and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.