Warm, creamy, and cheesy, this Bacon Cheeseburger Soup is comfort food in a bowl! Loaded with flavorful ground beef, bacon crumbles, potatoes, carrots, and celery, it’s thick, hearty, and will be a new family favorite!
Other classic soup recipes that are in our regular rotation include this broccoli cheese soup, tomato basil chicken soup, and easy vegetable soup!
Table of contents
Delicious Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
This cheeseburger soup recipe is rich and comforting soup, and some might even call it award-winning! At least around my dinner table, it has been declared that, and with its hearty, beefy, cheesy taste, I think you will agree!
With melty shredded cheddar cheese and vegetables, it’s similar to beer cheese soup or loaded baked potato soup, but tastes like your favorite burger. This bowl of soup is so good!
This creamy soup is a keeper and I know once you try it, it will be on repeat for not only dinner but game day parties and more.
What pairs well with cheeseburger soup?
A quick loaf of quick sourdough bread or a salad are excellent serving ideas to go along with this hearty soup.
Ingredients/shopping list
- Bacon: Adds a smoky flavor to this cheeseburger soup and elevates it to another level of amazing taste.
- Ground beef: One pound of lean ground beef. I used 90/10 ground beef for less grease but use your preference.
- Onion: Diced white onion or sweet onion.
- Carrot: I prefer diced, but shredded could be used.
- Celery: Diced celery pieces.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is preferred but you could try ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the soup.
- Chicken broth: Adds flavor to the soup and helps give it additional volume.
- Potatoes: Diced. Use Russet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes or Red potatoes if you’d like..
- Half-and-half: For creaminess.
- Shredded Cheese: Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor in my opinion.
- BBQ sauce: Just a bit for some sweetness.
- Dried parsley: Added seasoning and flavor.
- Paprika: Adds some color and sweetness.
Mustard powder: Adds some kick and depth of flavor.Salt and pepper: For taste.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Use ground chicken or ground turkey for a lower-fat version. Try Italian sausage for a spicier soup!
2. Leave the bacon out for just a cheeseburger soup if you would like.
3. Vary your seasonings by adding some red pepper flakes, hot sauce, smoked paprika, basil, a dash of worcestershire sauce or even a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Beef stock can be used instead of chicken stock. Vegetable broth may also be used if that is what you have on hand!
5. Substitute half and half with regular whole milk or lower-fat milk. Half and half or heavy cream will be the creamiest!
6. Use any kind of cheese you’d like in this cheeseburger soup. Velveeta cheese, Monterey jack, American cheese, Pepper jack or Colby cheese all work. Freshly shredded cheese melts best.
7. Add more vegetables like some bell peppers or mushrooms.
8. Watching your carbs? Try riced cauliflower instead of potatoes for a low carb, more keto cheeseburger soup.
9. Swap the diced potatoes for hash browns for quicker prep.
How to Make this Easy Soup Recipe
This cheeseburger soup is simple to make! All the ingredients blend together beautifully for a creamy soup with the best taste.
Step 1: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat cook your diced bacon for 5-7 minutes until crispy and browned. Remove bacon from the pot and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
Step 2: Crumble and brown ground beef, then remove to drain.
Step 3: Saute diced onion, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes until tender. Add garlic and saute for a minute longer.
Step 4: Make a roux by sprinkling flour over the top of the veggies and stirring to coat completely. Next, add chicken broth, half-and-half, BBQ sauce, dried parsley, salt, mustard powder, paprika, and pepper. Stir to blend well, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove browned pieces.
Step 5: Add back to the pot your cooked ground hamburger meal, cooked bacon crumbles, and diced potatoes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Step 6: Add the freshly grated shredded cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Top with croutons, extra cheese or any additional favorite topping and enjoy!
How Do I Make this in the Crock Pot?
To make crockpot cheeseburger soup first cook your bacon and ground beef and drain both.
Next, add all the ingredients (minus the flour and half and half) to the slow cooker and cook on low for about 4-6 hours or until vegetables are tender.
Thirty minutes before serving, make a slurry by mixing your flour and half and half together.
Add to the crock pot with your shredded cheese, stir, then turn to the high setting and allow the mixture to thicken. Stir again before serving.
Tips
- The leaner the ground beef the better, I use a 90/10 blend. Remember to drain any excess grease before adding it back to the soup.
- Freshly grated cheddar cheese from a block melts better and adds the best cheesy taste to the soup.
- For an even more luxurious soup before serving, stir in a bit of sour cream or cream cheese.
- Thicken soup by removing a portion to a blender, blending it then adding it back to the pot.
- Make bun croutons, it’s the perfect garnish for cheeseburger soup. Just cube your favorite buns, add to a baking sheet, and toast until brown.
FAQ’s
Additional bacon pieces, chopped green onions, a dollop of sour cream, croutons, or even chopped dill pickles will really elevate your bacon cheeseburger soup!
Once your soup is completely cooled, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 or 4 days. You may need to add a little chicken broth to thin the soup to consistency when reheating.
Technically yes, although potatoes will change texture when thawed and reheated. Also, since this soup had a milk and cheese base, it may change too when thawed. Really it’s best to eat this fresh! If you are considering freezing this soup, you may want to omit the potatoes.
That being said, once your soup is completely cooled, store it in a freezer-safe container for about a month. Reheat soup from frozen in a pot on the stove and stir often to prevent soup from separating.
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Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup bacon raw and diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup carrot diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups potatoes diced
- 2 cups cheddar cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes until crispy and browned.1 cup bacon
- Remove the bacon from the pot and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess grease and set aside.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and brown it for about 5 minutes, stirring often and breaking it into small pieces until cooked through. Drain the meat after cooking. (you can leave the bacon grease in the pot or use a paper towel to remove it)1 pound lean ground beef
- Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.½ cup onion, ½ cup carrot, ½ cup celery
- Then, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring often, until fragrant.2 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle the flour over top of the veggies and stir to coat completely.¼ cup all purpose flour
- Next, add the chicken broth, half-and-half, BBQ sauce, dried parsley, salt, mustard powder, paprika and pepper. Stir to blend well, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove browned pieces.4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups half-and-half, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the cooked ground hamburger meal, cooked bacon crumbles and diced potatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.2 cups potatoes
- Then, add the freshly grated cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese has melted completely.2 cups cheddar cheese
- Serve topped with croutons if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Honey Bee
Thanks
Mary Glover
Soup looks delicious!!