Our favorite homemade soup.

Recipe is from Taste of Home magazine and I have changed it a little.

 This soup is great at potlucks!

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

1 1/2 cups water.
2 1/2 cups cubed peeled potatoes. (Yukon Gold work best)
3 small carrots, grated.
1 small onion, chopped.
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped. (If you can't find a good green pepper for this recipe, do not worry about it, it still tastes good without it.)
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped.....OR you can use Jalapeno slices, enough to what you think makes 1 pepper and then dice them up.
1 Garlic clove, minced.
3 heaping teaspoons of "Better Than Bouillon" beef base...it's better than bouillon cubes and you keep it in the frig. after opening. Or you can use 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules.
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained.
2 1/2 cups milk....saving the 1/2 cup for the final part of the soup.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
8 ounces American cheese slices....like Kraft or Borden.
1/4 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, optional.
Bacon....I use the already cooked Oscar Meyer bacon...a half or whole pack, chopped up or crumbled. Or you can cook up some bacon and drain it.

In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. While that is simmering or before you start, cook and drain the beef and bacon.

Stir in beef and 2 cups of milk; heat through and bring to a small boil. Combine flour and 1/2 cup of milk until smooth, gradually stir into boiling soup....constantly stirring. Keep doing this until soup becomes thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; stir in cheese slices until melted. Add Cayenne if desired. Top off with bacon in individual bowls or put as much crumbled bacon into the pot of soup as you like. Serves 6-8 (about 2 quarts) I usually double mine for 4 or more people.