On Sunday, more than 2,500 people will walk the concourse at the FedExForum, bowls in hand, for the annual Youth Villages Soup Sunday. More than 50 restaurants participate in the 23 year-old event. Think of it as Zoo Brew, but with soup instead of beer.

In preparation for Soup Sunday, Chef Michael Patrick from Rizzo's Diner was kind enough to share the recipe for his contribution: his signature cheeseburger soup. Somehow, he's managed to make a soup that tastes exactly like a big, meaty cheeseburger (with lettuce and all) in liquid form.

Here's what you'll need:

- 3 stalks of celery
- one medium onion (or half of a large one)
- 2 1/2 lbs of ground beef
- 1/2 lb. of butter
- 1 tbsp of minced garlic
- 1/4 cup of English mustard
- 3 tbsp Creole mustard (like Zatarains)
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 gallon of milk
- 1/4 head of lettuces
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
- 1 cup flour
 

Here's how to make it:

1. Chop the celery and onion. Melt the butter in a stock pot over low heat and add the celery, onions and minced garlic.

2. In a cast iron skillet, add a little bit of oil and cook the ground beef until it's medium well or well done (depending on preference). Season with salt and pepper. You're trying to replicate the texture of a cheeseburger.

3. While the ground beef is cooking, add 1 cup of flour to the stock pot. Stir to make a roux (a paste).

4. Thin the English mustard with a little bit of water and add it to the roux. Add the Creole mustard and tomatoes. Stir and let the roux cook over low heat for 5 - 10 minutes.

5. Slowly add the half gallon of milk to the roux. And when I say slowly, I mean add maybe a quarter of it, stir it and let it cook down a little bit before you add more.

7. Break the cooked ground beef into bite-sized chunks and add it and the lettuce to the soup.

8. Turn the heat up to medium, season with salt and pepper and stir. The soup should be creamy, but not too thick yet.

9. Add the cheeses to the soup and stir. Turn the heat back down to a low flame and season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 - 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. The finished soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Tickets to Soup Sunday are $20 for adult general admission, $10 for kids ages 5 - 11 and free for kids ages 4 and under. You can purchase VIP tickets for $50 that allow you access to a second level of soup and snacks.

Go There:

Youth Villages Soup Sunday

Sunday, Feb. 19

FedExForum

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.