Soup for the soul

I made a super yummy soup the other night & want to share the recipe with you. This recipe came from a good friend of mine, Stefanie, who swore to its yummieness. When she told me it was a chowder, I almost tucked tail and ran. I mean what does chowder bring to mind? For me, its seafood - GROSS! No thank you to clams & such! I was skeptical, as always when getting recipes from carnivores, but this is really really good - she wasn't lying.

Picante Potato-Cheese Chowder
ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
2 cups cubed red potatoes
1 1/2 cup water
1-8ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup picante sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb Velveeta, cubed

Cook onions in olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese. Bring to boil & then reduce heat. Cover & simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cubed cheese, stirring until melted. Ladle into soup bowl. 4-5 serving (5 cups total)

Michael & I ate the entire pot for dinner. Yum! We crunched up some tostado chips in each of bowl for a good crunch. Neither of our boys cared for this recipe, but what do they know??? Nothing! Give them a grilled cheese or some french fries & their happy.

BTW, the original recipe called for cooking up some slices of bacon first thing. Then using the bacon grease, in lieu of the olive oil, for cooking the onions. You put aside the bacon & use it for crumbling on top of the soup before serving. I like my version & it saves a pig :)