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. It is thick, filling and is a whole meal all by itself!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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.
Bacon is my favorite but we also enjoy sliced green onions and a dollop of sour cream.
Yep! I have an actual recipe for Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup if you’d like to check that one out. But basically, you’d want to brown and crumble the ground beef first. Then pop all the ingredients in a 5-6 quart crock pot, cover and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. About an how before serving, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy cream.
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.
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.
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 below since many of you wondered where the old recipe went after I changed it. How come none of y’all commented that you liked 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. 🙂 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 crumbled
Instructions:
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.
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?
Recipe originally published: October 2011
Updated and republished: October 2024
Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 12 ounce package bacon
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons hamburger seasoning (or just season with a little salt and pepper)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 10.5 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 cream
- Optional toppings: chopped green onions and/or extra shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 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.
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
My favorite homecooked item is different from my favorite homecooked meal. LOVED my mother's mac & cheese, so have put a twist on it to make it into a meal rather than a side dish. Elbow macaroni, add ham cubes to the end of the boiling to mix it all together, drain. Stir in cheese sauce made with a rue and using sharp cheddar cheese (we use Tillamook) and sometimes I add in a bit of Swiss, or cream cheese, or Monterey Jack, or Muenster … mix it up! Put it all in a casserole dish. Top with Italian Bread crumbs (also my touch as I love the crispiness of it!). Bake and YUM! Sometimes I even put the veggie in … broccoli or peas. I always make more than I need because the kids love the leftovers. My mother would serve a pea casserole (peas, mixed with a cream soup, crunchy stuff on top). A dinner of ham, mac & cheese, and pea casserole was out of this world!
I would have to say that my favorite meal growing up was my mom's homemade enchiladas. Whenever I was sick, I had different favorites- tuna casserole and tapioca pudding-which I think most people do, right? LOL. I STILL love my mom's enchiladas, but I haven't had them in years. My e-mail address is songgirlc@yahoo.com. Thank you!!!
That cheeseburger Soup looks so good. It's makin' my mouth water! Good thing dinners on the stove and almost ready!
My all time favorite homecooked meal would have to be tator tot casserole. It's so filling and it provides all the basic food groups, meat, veggies, dairy and the starches. All I do is pair it with some Texas toast and it's a hit with our whole family.
I sure would love to win that cookbook so thank you for the opportunity. I hope to be a winner!
buttercup@love.com
My favorite meal involved anything my granny cooked that included her potato salad as a side dish. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and we didn't think at the time to ask her for the recipe. No one has it and she is no longer with us. It taught me a valuable lesson about not putting off writing down the family recipes!
I have so many favorite home-made meals and the top one would be home-made meatloaf that I've managed to perfected BOTH my mother's and mother-in-law's recipes. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes with green beans … how can life go wrong?
I guess out of so many to choose from it would be what my grandma called TV dinners. She would get steak or cube steak, canned veggies drained, season everything and wrap it up in tin foil and put it in the oven it was so good!!! fond memories of her.. Thank you.
panskit@gmail.com
Trina
I would have to say mine and my family's favorite meal would have to be my Italian meatloaf served with rice and green beans. We can't get enough. My son lives in MO now and when he comes home that is on the top of his list of food he misses. YUM!
It has to be my husband Richard's Birthday dinner. He would make Fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes and pan gravy, baked corn and green bean casserole. He made this for all of the children's birthday. The kids are now 33,31,28 and Richard has passed on but I have taken over this job. It's not the same but I feel it's very good.
My favorite meal has always been my grandmothers chicken and dumplings. She was from Savannah, GA and always made the best down home southern comfort food ever. Sadly since she passed I have not been able to replicate her dish. Still looking through her things to see if she ever wrote down her recipe.
My favorite home cooked meal is Macaroni and Cheese, my mom's version. I try to make it like hers, but it just isn't the same! Still love Macaroni and Cheese no matter what though, and cooked in various different ways, like with tuna fish or hamburger. Jenny – runningpony@gmail.com
Chicken and rice casserole, and lasagna are close along with enchiladas and….well you get the picture….laura dansby….pignaround@gmail.com
Country fried chicken, mashed potatoes and country gravy are me all time favorite.
My all time favorite would have to be mac & cheese. Not very original, I know, but it is the ultimate comfort food! stephscholz@gmail.com
One of my favorites growing up was chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans. karly_unkie@q.com
My absolute favorite home cooked meal is my moms Round Steak and Mashed Potatoes and Gravy with homemade green beans. YUM!!!
Sgbutler2000@yahoo.com
My favorite homecooked meal is Meatloaf, the good old fashioned variety. Beef Stew is always another favorite dish,
My favorite home cooked meal was my Mom's home made bean soup, with home made biscuits. It was a thick soup, chock full of beans, carrots, onions and chunks of ham, and Mom served up warm,buttery biscuits to "dip" into the soup. Mom died a year ago last May and I never got her recipe. When I think of that soup, I think of cold fall days, filled with love and laughter and Mom.
Danni Wyatt
freesoulflyn@aol.com
My mom made a dish called Cheeseburger Bake. It was meat and ketchup and tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan covered with cheese and homemade bisquits!
Becky Grant emailthegrants@gmail.com
My favorite homecooked meal is red beans and rice with corn bread and butter
My favorite homecooked meal? Easy! Chicken and Dumplings, macaroni and cheese, green been with ham. Oh and don't forget the iced tea! Thank you!
One of my favorite homemade meals is my wedding soup! I love it! It's the best on a cold day! It warms up the whole house and smells wonderful.
My favorite home cooked meal has to be the Chicken and Dumplings my grandmother made. I loved them and she made them for me all the time. Another favorite was stuffed cabbage rolls she made. I miss her so much and would give anything to have one last home cooked meal with her.
rebelledesigns@hotmail.com
This soup sounds quite YUMMY!! 🙂 My favorite homecooked meal is Pork Roast and Rosemarina….My Grandma made it and then my mom…now I make it and my daughters do too…great Greek Food! 🙂
Thanks for hosting this give-away, I'm a huge Gooseberry Patch fan and am really wishing with my fingers crossed to get this newest big book!!
My favorite home cooked meal is chicken and dumplings, sweet baby carrots and fried okra…yum, yum!!
When I look at some of the recipes for chicken packets made in aluminum foil packets or the roasted potato packets it never fails to take me back to my mom's kitchen.
I remember all of us kids sitting at the kitchen table (a big wooden table my father finished) opening our chicken packets to put on our plates with a big spoonful of mayo.
Today I make those packets for my family – minus the big spoonful of mayo ……. because we all like them just the way they come out of the foil
Favourite home cooked meal. I call it Shepherds pie but really it is Cottage pie because I use beef. I love it because it brings back memories of childhood in England. I love it because its tasty and filling and just as good as leftovers next day. Goes a long way.
Janice
My special recipe is quick and easy spinach quiche. it's crustless, only uses 2 eggs, and has sharp cheddar. Everybody loves it!
My all-time favorite home cooked meal is my mom's stewed beef tips over rice, slow-cooked green beans flavored with ham, fried okra and fried corn bread. A glass of sweet tea is a must with this meal, as well. Can you tell I was raised in the south? Nothing says love like traveling to Georgia and knowing that I will be eating this meal with my family because my mom knows how much I loved this growing up and she makes it especially for me because she loves me (and she loves the rave reviews she gets for her cooking skills!) Glad it works out for both of us!! Ha, ha. Thanks
My mom's turkey tetrazinni!
I love my grandmother's beef cutlets.. so miss her cooking. my mom will make it for me sometimes but doesnt have the "grandma" touch
-Priya
chutkipri@yahoo.com
My mom always made us beef stroganoff with steak, rice, sour cream, and mushroom soup. We loved it as kids and always ate it up.
My favorite meal:
Fried chicken, white gravy made from the drippings, mashed potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, corn pudding and cornbread.
Top it off with Iced Tea and Bread Pudding.
YUM YUM
I love a cousins fried chicken and mashed potatos, and my Mom's homemade french onion soup. I like to try new recipes all the time, but I haven't made french onion soup yet. YUMM..now I have a taste for soup!! Jenny…jaak97@wildblue.net
Mmmmm…I can taste it now…fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, and fried corn! My Mom would probably also add another veggie, just so she felt like it was a balanced meal…fried green tomatoes or fried eggplant…yummmmm.
Can you tell we're from the South? We love our fried food!
DTHamilton963@hotmail.com
I love to make french dips in the crock pot. I make extra of the dipping juice so when all of the meat is gone it can be frozen and used to make french onion soup! So yummy on a cold day! Lora….lorabeverly@yahoo.com
My favorite home-made meal is my Dad's spaghetti sauce. He's been gone 8 years now, but my Mom still has his receipe. It is so good and I only have it when I go home to Philly. I miss both my Dad and his sauce. Mine is really good but does not come close!
I love grilled burgers. I want them cooked over charcoal with hickory chips, not gas. There's nothing like them. I like worchestershire, liquid smoke, Cavendar's seasoning and onion soup mix in them. Top them off with pickle, onion, tomato and mustard and I'm in heaven. Keena Dixon jkdixon@ritternet.com
Favorite home cooked meal would have to be my mom's meatloaf and mashed potatoes. She makes this awesome tangy sauce for the top of it. Love it on a cold, fall night!
Just one favorite meal? Don't know if I can narrow it down. There's the Lamb Curry Stew I cook on top of my wood stove in the winter. And the Cajun Meatloaf that is an Emeril recipe. And Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna. Just too many favorites!
My favorite is Meatloaf and Mac & Cheese. I am going to have to make the Cheeseburger Soup.
Candy candice.zeller@yahoo.com
I love to cook for my family and hands down my grand daughter loves my dumplings, she even wrote a paper for school about them as her favorite thing! How sweet is that?
Shirley
Favorie home cooked recipe, for fall, cause i really do have so many seasoanl favorites it would be my husbands homemade broccoli cheddar soup….i am drooling just thinking about it….
My favorite is chicken with Illinois dumplings made by my mom.
The dumplings are in gravy and baked in the oven. YUM!
Tammy blueridge2@hotmail.com
My favorite homemade meal to eat is my moms cabage rolls (Golabki for us Polish ppl). My favorite meal to make is chicken and dumplings.
Amanda
missamanda80@yahoo.com
My favorite home cooked meal is the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all of the fixings! My mom makes the best stuffing! I can't wait to try the Cheeseburger soup. Perfect for the beginning of fall!
Tami
rtsperr@runestone.net
My Mom's fried chicken and homemade noodles. I've been cooking for 45 years and still can't come close to her fried chicken or homemade noodles.
Mizkriskringle@yahoo.com
Chicken & Dressing! I got the recipes from my Grandmother & my Husbands Grandmother & combined them but irionicly the one ingredient either one of them used I got from my gooseberry patch cookbook & that is cream of chicken soup. My 93 year young Granny said I've perfected it! I'm very proud of my chicken & dressing but if only I could make her chocolate pie…
Linda S. lschaff72@watchtv.net (Forgot to leave my name and email before with my comment) 🙂
My favorite meal… I would have to say my grandma's homemade noodles, with fried potatoes. She passed away at the young age of 97 this past June.
OOPS — so excited to tell about my favorite meal and didn't leave my name 🙁 My FAVORITE meal would be my Mom's homemade mac and cheese with ham and green onions. My second favorite is chicken in a basket (breakfast) made on Saturday mornings by my Dad. My husband and daughter loves my chicken and dumplings. I hope to one day pass on all of these recipes to my daughter for her children. Amy E. ajoeverett@hotmail.com