ABC Meatball Soup

One of my kids' favorite things is meatballs. They especially like when they are 'mini.' Meatballs are a great texture for kids learning to use their own knife to cut and the addition of alphabet pasta makes it even more fun. Lucas likes to find a letter and then think of a word that starts with that letter. Jacob doesn't quite get it yet, but he loves that there are letters and he imitates Lucas (there must be some learning going on, right?)

This recipe is one of my staples. It started out as a Rachel Ray recipe, but I have morphed it a bit over the years to suit the tastes of my kids and to make it more 'fun.' The best thing about it is that I almost always have everything on hand for the recipe except the meat. It's also flexible and you can use just about any type of ground meat you want.

ABC Meatball Soup

Timing - about 35-40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 T olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 lb lean ground beef (you can also use ground turkey, chicken or a mixture of beef/pork/veal for even more flavor)
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts chicken stock (two boxes)
12 oz dried alphabet pasta (or any small pasta)
1 bunch kale, chopped

How to Make
Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery and onion, season with salt and cook, partly covered until vegetable soften slightly, about 5-8 minutes. When the vegetables are softened, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, make the meatball mixture by combining meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Shape the meat into small meatballs, approximately the size of a walnut.

When the liquid comes to a boil, drop in the meatballs and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Make sure to stir a few times so the pasta doesn't stick.

Add the kale and cook, covered, about 5 minutes more. Serve with crusty bread and more Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8 (ish)