Fresh Tomato Soup with Meatballs and Meat Stuffed Pierogi

 Basic price per serving is $4.20 for 2 persons and $2.10 for 4

This is a bit higher in price per serving as ground beef is usually more costly per pound than most other meats including chicken
.
Sometimes simple is the best dinner; especially, when it is full of flavor.
This soup is exactly that.

You will need to buy: Fresh Tomatoes 3-4 vine ripe or fresh frozen (as I have in my freezer) or you can use a small can of diced tomatoes $1.50 (I recommend Red Gold brand).

1 pound of ground beef $3.84and 1 pound of ground turkey $2.98.
1 package of meat stuffed pierogi (I like the Kasia brand from Jewel; last time I purchased them, the cost per package was just 3.50 for 10)

Take from the Pantry list:
Bread Crumbs
Dried Herb Seasoning
Farm Fresh Eggs
Sour Cream
Heavy Cream
Left over chicken stock
Red Pepper Flakes
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder

To get started, you need to take out your left over chicken stock which is something every home chef should have on hand. If not, a small can of chicken stock will do. Have your tomatoes blanched/peeled or thawed from the freezer or open the can of diced. In a crock style stove top cooking pot (I use my Rachel Ray), pour in your chicken stock. Add the tomatoes and cover. Cook on a low flame.
Meanwhile, prepare meatballs.
Take your ground beef and turkey and mix together in a large bowl (this amount of meat/ meatball mixture is more than enough for this recipe, so either freeze the extra or save for the next days meatloaf or spaghetti and meatballs.  Add 3/4 cup of plain bread crumbs, dried herb seasoning, (rosemary, oregano and mint), then break in one egg, three pinches of salt and 1 of black pepper and the same of red pepper. Use as much garlic powder as you like, I think 1/2 tsp is best. Lastly, pour over 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Now mix it up and make as many meatballs for the soup as you like and save the rest of the mixture for tomorrow.  Getting two meals from this mixture saves time and money.
The soup stock with tomatoes should be hot and you can turn it up so that you get a rolling boil. Once that happens, you can drop in your meatballs.
In a smaller stock pot, fill with water add a pinch of salt and put on high flame to get it boiling, ready for the pierogis. You need to mind the soup, stirring and drop in your pierogi to the water when it boils.
I do not put the pierogi into the soup pot. When done, they go into soup dishes.

Your tomato soup should be ready. Pour out into a soup tourine on the table. Fill the soup plates with pierogi and spoon over the soup giving each plate a few meatballs.
Put sour cream out, as a dollop will do just fine. Enjoy!