Quick Italian Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package Lasagna Hamburger Helper
5 cups hot water
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8 oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained, or 1 cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 small zucchini, chopped

Cook beef and onion in large pot until beef is browned, drain.

Stir in hot water, sauce mix, tomatoes, corn and cheese. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in uncooked pasta and zucchini. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle each serving with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

From whence it came: This recipe was given to me by another really great friend, Shannon Hall. Not only did Shannon give this soup to me, she has made this soup for me! The day after my dad died, after a very long day of making burial arrangements, I came home to a delicious, hot dinner made by my amazing friends, Shannon and Kerinda. Now, every time I make this soup, I think of them, and how they were there for me during a very difficult time. Shannon is what I call a true cook. She cooks almost every single night of the week. But more importantly, she shares my love for Tim McGraw (although I love him more and I am his biggest fan, she is his second). We attended his concert together a couple of summers ago and much to our surprise and delight, he filmed a video that night and we ended up being the stars. I'm not kidding! You go ahead and watch his video Suspicion and you will see Shannon's wrist and half of my forehead. Stars I tell you, stars! Shannon is a giving person, and I'm so happy she gave me this recipe!

Why it's blogable: This soup is really yum-e! Now you might stick your nose up at Hamburger Helper, and to tell you the truth, I only buy it for this recipe, but trust me on this one. It makes a great base for this soup. And when the soup is done, just hide the box in the bottom of the trashcan and I promise you that no one will ever know you used the mix. Don't be a snob, give it a try!

If you want to: You can add more veggies if you'd like. Yellow squash looks really pretty in this, too, and tastes great! You can also top it with a little bit of mozzarella cheese if you're in the mood for stringy goodness! Serve it with a salad and warm French bread and your family will smile!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!