WARM UP THOSE COLD WINTER NIGHTS

And what's better on a cold night than some warm soup? It's like a hug from the inside, and this one was a favorite when my little monsters were running around The Manor. It's Cheesy Snail Soup!

Well, almost....it's really Hot Dog Mac & Cheese Soup. Good old comfort food at it's best! You'll need a few ingredients, and it only takes about 20 minutes, start to finish. I promise the kiddo's (and grown up monsters too) will love it.

Prep Time: 10 min. Cooking Time: 8 min.

Ingredients:

~4 - ounces ( 1-1/2 cups) uncooked dried small macaroni shells
~2 - Tablespoons butter

~2 - Tablespoons all-purpose flour

~1 - teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

~1 - can (14-ounces) chicken broth

~1-1/2 - cups Fat Free Half & Half or milk

~1/2 - pound slice (1 inch thick) Deli American Cheese, cubed 1-inch

~1 - cup chopped or sliced hot dogs

~Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

In a 3-quart saucepan, you want to melt butter until sizzling and stir in flour and mustard.

Add broth and half & half. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until melted.

Next, stir in macaroni and hot dogs.

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

To really enjoy this, you'll need to get some blankets, warm up the dvd player, snuggle up on the couch, and serve up some mugs of Cheesy Snail Soup! Sounds like a perfect winter night to me.