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Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger Soup is the ultimate comfort soup. Chock full of seasoned ground beef, potatoes, onions, and of course, cheese all in a creamy soup!
A HEARTY, BEEFY, CHEESY, FILLING SOUP
I have been in a soup sort of mood lately. My mind is gradually turning to all things fall. Football games, apple picking, hay rides and warm, comforting soup. This Cheeseburger Soup is definitely what I would call comfort soup. Note: I recently updated this recipe because I got so many complaints that the original recipe used Velveeta. Apparently A LOT of people really hate Velveeta – ha! Anyways, I put the original recipe in the Frequently Asked Question section below since many of you wondered where the old recipe went after I changed it. When you don’t comment positive things about a recipe and I only hear the negative then I assume no one likes the recipe and it is time to change it and go back to the drawing board. So please, please comment in the future when you like a recipe on my site or else I have no way of knowing if anyone is enjoying a recipe or not. ?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What do you serve with cheeseburger soup? We enjoy eating cheeseburger soup with some thick crusty bread to dip into the soup. Also, a small side salad would be perfect with this soup. What are the best toppings for cheeseburger soup? Bacon is my favorite but we also enjoy sliced green onions and a dollop of sour cream. How do I make cheeseburger soup in the crock pot? Brown the ground beef first. Then pop all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. Then about an hour before serving add in shredder cheddar cheese and heavy cream. How can I reduce the sodium? I mention it a bit more in the ingredient listing below but I would skip the hamburger seasoning and use a no salt seasoning blend. In addition you can use a heart healthy version of the cheddar cheese soup and a no sodium (it may just say unsalted) beef broth. Can you freeze cheeseburger soup? Yes. However, when it is eventually reheated, it may not have the exact same texture as it did when it was freshly made. Potatoes can become mushy when frozen then reheated. It’s important to ensure this is stored in a freezer-safe bag or container. Only freeze once the soup has cooled completely. What was the original recipe with Velveeta? For those who enjoyed the original recipe, here you go: Ingredients:▢ 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed▢ 2 carrots, peeled and grated▢ 1 small onion, chopped▢ 1 clove garlic, minced▢ 1 ½ cups water▢ 1 Tablespoon beef bouillon granules (about 4 cubes)▢ ½ teaspoon salt▢ 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained▢ 2 ½ cups milk (divided use)▢ 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour▢ 8 ounces Velveeta, cubed▢ ½ pound bacon, crisply cooked and crumbledInstructions:1. Brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease and set aside. 2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 3. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. 4. Stir in beef and 2 cups of milk.5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and remaining ½ cup milk until smooth. Gradually whisk into soup.6. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly (so mixture does not burn.) 7. Reduce heat; add cheese and stir until completely melted. 8. Garnish with bacon and serve. My soup is too thick, what do I do? If the soup is too thick, you can add a bit more water or beef broth.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
bacon
lean ground beef
hamburger seasoning – you can just use salt and pepper if you don’t have this. I just use the Hamburger Seasoning by McCormick (not an affiliate link.)
garlic – I prefer fresh garlic but you can use the jarred stuff if you need to. Or you can use about 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
cheddar cheese soup – if you have any salt sensitivities, I would recommend using a low sodium version (non affiliate link) of this. It is usually called “heart healthy”. You can leave out the cheddar cheese soup if you don’t have it. But if you need help finding it in the store, it can be found where all the other soups are (usually near the cream of chicken soups).
beef broth – again, if you are concerned at all about salt levels, of with a low or no sodium option. You can always add salt but you can’t remove it.
potatoes O’Brien (with onions and peppers) – you will sometimes see this go by a few names but they are just frozen diced potatoes. I got the Ore Ida brand (not an affiliate link). They may also be called southern hash browns (not an affiliate link) or just diced hash browns (not an affiliate link). When I think of hash browns, I think of shredded has browns but every store seems to have their own names for these things but you want the frozen diced potatoes (even if they don’t have the onions and peppers, that’s ok. Or, if you don’t want to use frozen potatoes, you can use peeled and diced russet potatoes.
shredded cheddar cheese
heavy cream – this adds wonderful richness to this but you can use milk in a pinch.
additional toppings: shredded cheese and/or sliced green onions
HOW TO MAKE CHEESEBURGER SOUP:
Cook the bacon in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat until crispy. Depending on how crispy you like your bacon this can take 8-15 minutes. Remove the bacon to a large plate with clean paper towels and allow to cool.
Add the ground beef and hamburger seasoning into the bacon grease. Brown and crumble for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Drain off and remove all the excess grease. Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the ground beef, sautéing for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add in the cheddar cheese soup, beef broth and hash browns and gently stir until combined and smooth. Bring to a boil and cook until the hash browns are heated through, about 7-10 minutes.
Crumble the bacon well and then add half to the soup, reserving the other half for topping. Once the soup and potatoes are heated through, add in the cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, stirring well to melt and combine it with the soup.
After all the cheese has been added, slowly stir in the heavy cream and then bring the mixture just to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Do not boil or the cream may curdle.
Remove from heat and serve topped with bacon. Optional: top with additional shredded cheese and sliced green onions.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Lasagna Soup
Hamburger Vegetable Soup
Cabbage Roll Soup
Crock Pot Wendy’s Chili
Big Mac Salad
Crock Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Cheeseburger Macaroni Casserole
Cheeseburger Bubble Up
Low Carb Cheeseburger Casserole
Easy Cheeseburger Cups
100 Ground Beef Recipes
Recipe originally published: October 2011Updated and republished: October 2024
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Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger soup is the ultimate comfort soup. Chock full of seasoned ground beef, potatoes, bacon and cheese all in a creamy soup!
Course SoupCuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 35 minutes minutesTotal Time 50 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 757kcal
Author Brandie @ The Country Cook
Ingredients12 ounce package bacon1 pound lean ground beef2 teaspoons hamburger seasoning (or just season with a little salt and pepper)1 Tablespoon minced garlic10.5 ounce can cheddar cheese soup (can use low sodium)2 cups beef broth (can use low or no sodium)5 cups O'Brien diced potatoes with onions and peppers (you do not need to thaw first)8 ounce block medium cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)½ cup heavy creamOptional toppings: chopped green onions and/or extra shredded cheddar cheese
InstructionsCook the bacon in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat until crispy. Depending on how crispy you like your bacon this can take 8-15 minutes. Remove the bacon to a large plate with clean paper towels and allow to cool. Add the ground beef and hamburger seasoning into the bacon grease. Brown and crumble for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Drain off and remove all the excess grease. Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the ground beef, sautéing for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add in the cheddar cheese soup, beef broth and hash browns and gently stir until combined and smooth. Bring to a boil and cook until the hash browns are heated through, about 7-10 minutes. Crumble the bacon well and then add half to the soup, reserving the other half for topping. Once the soup and potatoes are heated through, add in the cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, stirring well to melt and combine it with the soup. After all the cheese has been added, slowly stir in the heavy cream and then bring the mixture just to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Do not boil or the cream may curdle. Remove from heat and serve topped with bacon. Optional: top with additional shredded cheese and sliced green onions.
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
You can probably get 8 servings out of this if you serve a smaller amount per serving.
NutritionCalories: 757kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 50g | Sodium: 1275mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g