Birds Eye Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans Soup

One of the rewards for being a Foodbuzz featured publisher is being a taste tester. We get the awesome opportunity to taste products and review them. So I give a BIG thank-you to Foodbuzz and Birds Eye Steamfresh Chef's Favorites for giving me the chance to their delicious products. (Creamed Spinach, Primavera Vegetable Risotto, Mushroom and Green Bean Risotto, and Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans)

I realize that we're still in the grip of a summer heatwave, but I was craving soup. And not just any soup, my Hamburger Helper Soup. It's fast to mix together, but most importantly, it's delicious. I used the Birds Eye Steamfresh Chef's Favorites Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans.

In today's tough economy, you need to stretch that buck as far as you can. But that doesn't mean that you have to settle for a mediocre plate of whatever. Don't get me wrong, Hamburger Helper has been served to my family many a night after coming home tired from a long day at work. It's fast, cheap and easy. But when I tried this recipe as a soup-base, it immediately became the only way I prepared it. I think this recipe must have been on the back of the box. But it has been so many years I can't be sure. Trust me when I say this will be become one of your favorites.

These simple ingredients will quickly simmer into a fast hearty dinner.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 package Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 package frozen Birds Eye Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans

Directions:
Cook and stir ground beef and onion in a Dutch oven until beef is brown; drain. Stir in sauce mix from Hamburger Helper package. Add water, bay leaf, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Stir in vegetables and noodles; cover and cook about 10 minutes longer. Serves 5 to 6.