Name: Green Chile Beef & Sausage Sopita
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 pound beef sausage; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder; 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 pound roasted green chiles, diced; 2 medium yellow squash, cut into bite-sized cubes; 6 cups chicken broth; 8 ounces elbow macaroni; 4 ounces Velveeta cheese sauce

Ingredients

Scale

Here is everything you need to make about 8 hearty servings.

For the base:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound beef sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

For the seasoning:

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

For the soup:

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pound roasted green chiles, diced
2 medium yellow squash, cut into bite-sized cubes
6 cups chicken broth
8 ounces elbow macaroni

For the creamy finish:

4 ounces Velveeta cheese sauce

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the Pot and Fat

Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. The olive oil helps prevent the butter from burning, and the butter adds a rich, rounded flavor to the base of the soup.

Step 2: Brown the Beef and Sausage

Add the ground beef and beef sausage. Cook, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until it is fully browned and slightly crispy at the edges. Don’t rush this step. Those browned bits are where much of the soup’s flavor comes from. If there is more grease than you’d like, drain off the excess, leaving a spoonful or so in the pot for flavor.

Step 3: Soften the Onion

Add the finely diced onion to the pot. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent. The moisture in the onion will start to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Step 4: Bloom the Garlic and Spices

Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Cooking the spices briefly in the hot fat wakes up their flavor and spreads it through the meat.

Step 5: Add Tomatoes and Green Chiles

Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, then add the roasted green chiles. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to release all that flavor. This is called deglazing, and it adds depth you can’t get any other way.

Step 6: Add Broth and Simmer

Add the chicken broth and bouillon powder. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. This gives the flavors time to meld and builds a savory broth.

Step 7: Cook the Squash

Add the yellow squash and continue simmering, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. You want the squash soft but not mushy, since it will keep cooking a bit once the pasta goes in.

Step 8: Add the Macaroni

Stir in the elbow macaroni. Cook at a gentle simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom, until just tender. Aim for al dente, because the pasta will continue to soften as the soup sits.

Step 9: Melt in the Cheese

Add the Velveeta cheese sauce and stir until fully melted and creamy. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Depending on your broth and bouillon, you may want a pinch of salt, black pepper, or a squeeze of lime.

Step 10: Serve Hot

Ladle the sopita into bowls and serve right away. Enjoy that rich, cheesy warmth in every spoonful.