Ya gotta try this...

Hey there friends,
So as most of you know, we live under some pretty strict diet rules, due to various health conditions. It's a rare occasion for us to even eat red meat...much less to splurge on a hamburger with all the fixin's. A few weeks ago, Brett was playing with his pretend food...specifically his burger set from Grandma and Papa Brown. The only thing is, Brett had decided to make a soup of his burger in a play cooking pan. A little unconventional, but it piqued my interest. Burger soup? Never heard of it...may as well give it a try! So, without further ado, this is the funky recipe we cooked up for the first time tonight. If you like burgers, you've got to give it a try. We L - O - V - E, loved it! Sorry, no photos...we devoured it too fast. And honestly, it's not exactly the kind of food you'll see gorgeously presented at El Gaucho. But man, it was GOOD. :)

Swamped Burgers
(Bacon Cheeseburger Soup)

~ 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef (we use elk because it's even healthier)
~ 4-5 strips bacon (used to use turkey...now we have to use soy...uber-healthy, yes we are!), diced
~ 1/4 c. Smart Balance spread, divided
~ 1 onion, halved and sliced thinly
~ 3 small potatoes or 2 large, sliced into french-fry strips
~ salt and pepper (garlic pepper is outstanding)
~ 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
~ 1 T. worchestershire sauce
~ 1 T. yellow mustard
~ 2 T. ketchup
~ 1/4 c. flour
~ 4 c. skim milk
~ 8 oz. reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
~ 4 whole wheat hamburger buns
~ reduced-fat mayonnaise
~ diced avocado, dill pickle, and any other burger toppings you like, to garnish

In a deep saucepan, melt 1 T. SBspread. Add bacon, and cook until just slightly crisp. Remove from pan, and set aside on a paper towel. Add remaining butter, and fry potatoes, adding salt and pepper to your taste, about 5 min. Add onions and cook about 3 min. Add ground beef, season to taste and cook until no longer pink. Add worchestershire sauce. Toss in tomato, and then flour, stirring to combine. Add milk, ketchup and mustard, and cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 8 thin slices of cheese, and shred the rest. Add shredded cheese on very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, toast buns and spread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Place one bottom bun in each of four deep soup bowls. Add a slice of cheese to each. Ladle soup over the top, then add another slice of cheese and the top bun. Garnish with pickles, avocado, and any other burger toppings you enjoy.

Sounds a little weird...but I promise it's deeeelish! And coming from a home with tons of diet restrictions, it tastes like a way bigger indulgence than it is!