Why you’ll love this recipe:
If you’re looking for an easy, family-friendly meal, crockpot cheeseburger soup is it! This slow cooker version is super simple with 10 minutes of prep time and everyday ingredients like ground beef and cheese. It’s comfort food at its best! It has all the flavors of a juicy cheeseburger in a bowl of hearty soup.
- Everyone loves this soup, kids and adults alike!
- Loaded with ground beef and tender potatoes in a cheesy soup base.
- A comforting and easy meal for chilly nights
The key to a super creamy base is Velveeta cheese! It doesn’t separate or clump, and it has a mild, but ultra cheesy flavor. I like to load up my bowl of soup with lots of toppings. Anything that tastes great on a burger works great as a topping! Try shredded cheese, bacon bits, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, pickled jalapenos, or even pickles.
Key Ingredient Notes:
Slow cooker cheeseburger soup calls for basic ingredients you may already have on hand! Here’s what you need:
- Ground beef – I recommend ground chuck because it has good flavor and an optimal amount of fat so it doesn’t dry out. You can use any kind of ground beef. Just be sure to drain the excess fat before you add it to the slow cooker.
- Veggies – Onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes add texture and flavor to the soup. If you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out. I used russet potatoes for their ultra creamy texture, but you can use any type of potato with good results.
- Chicken stock – Stock creates the base of the soup. You can use chicken, beef, or even vegetable stock in a pinch. I recommend chicken stock for its mild yet savory flavor.
- Montreal steak seasoning – If you don’t have Montreal steak seasoning, add 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp granulated garlic, 1 tbsp onion powder, and 1 tsp crushed red pepper or more to taste.
- Whole milk – Milk is the base of the cheese sauce! It allows the cheese to melt without burning or separating.
- Cheese – Velveeta is a great cheese for melting. It melts smooth and creamy, without separating. I added pepper jack cheese for a subtle heat that resembles a good burger! You can substitute the pepper jack with cheddar, swiss, gouda, monterey jack, or colby jack if you want. Do NOT substitute the Velveeta or your soup won’t be thick and creamy.
How to make this recipe:
1. Slow cook beef & veggies
- Combine the cooked ground beef, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, chicken stock, steak seasoning, and dried dill in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Mix well and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. The potatoes and vegetables should be fork-tender.
2. Make cheese sauce
Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, make the cheese sauce.
- Heat 1 1/2 cups of milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lightly steaming. Add the Velveeta and pepper jack cheese to the pan and cook, stirring, until all the cheese is melted.
3. Combine & serve
- Pour the cheese sauce into the crockpot and mix well. Let the cheeseburger soup cook for 30 more minutes.
- Serve and garnish with bacon bits, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, or anything else you love on a burger!
Variations:
This soup is easy to customize! Try one of these simple variations to change things up a bit.
- Meat – Swap the cooked ground beef with cooked ground sausage, turkey, or pork.
- Veggies – You can swap out the veggies or add more if you like. Try bell peppers, broccoli, corn, or tomatoes!
- Cheese – I don’t recommend swapping out the Velveeta, but you can defenitely swap out the pepper jack. Any cheese that melts works great. Try cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, gouda, or swiss cheese.
- Seasoning – For a bit of heat, add red pepper flakes or chili powder.
- Broth – Vegetable, chicken, or beef broth can all be used.
Time-Saving Tips:
- Prep the veggies ahead of time! You can peel and dice all the veggies a day before you plan to make the soup. Just dump in a bowl or plastic bag and refrigerate.
- You can cook and drain the ground beef ahead too, so all you have to do is dump and go! Store the ground beef in an airtight container in the fridge.
Storing Tips:
- Store crockpot cheeseburger soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave and large portions on the stovetop in a pot over medium heat.
- This soup is freezer-friendly! Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
FAQs:
Cheeseburger soup is a creamy soup made with ground beef, tender chunks of potatoes, and cooked veggies in a cheesy broth. It has all the flavors of a cheeseburger, but it’s in the form of a soup.
Cheeseburger soup is a filling meal on its own, but I like to serve it with oven roasted vegetables, garlic bread, a crunchy salad, breadsticks, or cornbread. Don’t forget about the toppings either! Bacon bits, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes taste delicious on top.
Technically speaking, there is no difference. They are the same appliance, but a Crockpot is a specific brand of a slow cooker. Nowadays, most people are referring to any slow cooker when they use the term Crockpot.
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef cooked and drained, Note 1
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms sliced, optional
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and large diced about 1" cubes
- 5 cups chicken or beef stock
- 1 ½ tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning Note 2
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 10 ounces Velveeta cheese cubed
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese shredded, Note 3
Instructions
- To a 6 quart slow cooker, add the cooked ground beef, onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms (if using), potatoes, chicken or beef stock, steak seasoning and dried dill. Mix and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.
- Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, heat the 1 ½ cups of milk in a saucepan over medium heat until lightly steaming. Add in the velveeta cheese and pepper jack cheese and continue cooking over medium heat until the cheeses have melted completely. Stirring constantly.
- Pour the cheese mixture into the slow cooker and mix, let cook for the last 30 minutes.
- Serve and garnish with bacon bits, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and shredded cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
– Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or large portions on the stovetop in a pot over medium heat.
– This soup is freezer-friendly! Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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