Amish Snow Day Soup

Amish Snow Day Soup
🛒 Ingredients
500 g ground beef
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cups (1 liter) beef broth
1 can (400 g) corn, drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups (480 ml) milk or half-and-half
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Brown the beef
   In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned.
   Drain excess fat and set aside.
2. Sauté aromatics
   In the same pot, melt butter.
   Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–6 minutes until softened.
   Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Simmer the soup
   Add potatoes, cooked beef, broth, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper.
   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
4. Add corn
   Stir in corn and cook 5 minutes more.
5. Make it creamy
   In a bowl, whisk flour with milk until smooth.
   Slowly stir into soup and simmer until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).
6. Add cheese
   Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded cheddar until melted and creamy.
   🍽️ Serving Ideas
   Serve hot with crusty bread or biscuits.
   Top with extra cheese or fresh parsley.
   💡 Tips
   Swap ground beef for ground turkey or sausage for a different flavor.
   Add a pinch of smoked paprika for extra depth.
   This soup thickens as it sits—add a splash of milk when reheating.