Make weeknight eating Easy and Delicious with Slow Cooker cheeseburger soup
If you’re looking for a new recipe to add to your dinner menu that’s simple, delicious, and family-friendly, you’ve come to the right place. This Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup is all of that and more. It’s an easy recipe that will make you feel good from the inside out. This soup is cozy and comforting and made with nourishing, real-food ingredients. You can prep many of the ingredients the day before so that all you have to do the next morning is add everything to the slow cooker and let it cook. When it dinner time comes, simply prepare the toppings, ladle the soup into bowls, and serve it up!
Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup Ingredients
Most Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup recipes call for processed cheese. Not this one. Our recipe is made simple with real-food ingredients that nourish. It contains quality protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich veggies.
Ground beef – you could also use ground bison or ground turkey Vegetables – you’ll need a yellow onion, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, and potatoes (yellow, russet, or Yukon gold)Chicken broth – for an extra boost of nutrients, we like to make this soup with our homemade bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth. You can also use beef brothWorcestershire sauce – we love the flavor this adds to the Cheeseburger Soup, but you could also use low-sodium-soy sauce or coconut aminosWhole milk – half and half would also work great and make the soup even creamierCream cheese – adds creaminess without using ultra-processed cheeses like most other Cheeseburger Soup recipes do (no thank you, Velveeta)Shredded Cheddar cheese – we recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself for best creamy, melty results. Sharp cheddar cheese is another great optionBacon – cooked to crisp Cornstarch – this is an optional ingredient, used to thicken the soup instead of a standard flour rouxFine salt and black pepperToppings – Fresh chopped parsley or basil, diced or sliced pickles, diced red onion, more bacon and cheese, sour cream, your favorite croutons or homemade bun croutons, a little ketchup and mustard, and/or crusty bread for dunking
How to Make Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup with bacon
The prep time for this soup is about 20 minutes and the slow cooker cook time is 4-5 hours on high and 7-8 hour on low. The total time to make this recipe is 4-5 hours + 20 minutes or 7-8 hours + 20 minutes.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain off any liquid that is in the pan after cooking.To the slow cooker, add the cooked beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, broth, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until the potatoes are tender. This can be done on high or low heat, depending on how much time you have. At some point while the soup is cooking, prepare the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp, let it cool slightly, and then chop it into pieces. About 30 minutes before serving the soup, add the whole milk, cream cheese, and shredded cheese to the slow cooker, replace the lid and continue to let it cook until the cheeses melt into the soup.Optional step: If you like thicker soup, you’ll want to add a cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Make sure the slow cooker is set on high. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the soup, stirring as you pour it in. Replace the lid and let the soup cook on the high heat setting for 15 minutes.Stir in the bacon, add additional salt and pepper, and serve with optional toppings and/or crusty bread for dipping.
See full recipe instructions below.
What is a serving of Cheeseburger Soup
This recipe makes about 7 1/2 cups total, about 5-6 servings. That would make the serving size be about 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups. For calories and complete nutrition information, see the recipe card below.
Can Cheeseburger Soup be Frozen?
Yes, this recipe is freezer-friendly. Simply store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also portion the soup into individual servings before freezing, if you wish.
How to meal prep this Recipe
There are a couple of ways that you can prep this Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup recipe to help you save time during the week.
The first way is to simply prep the ingredients up to the point of cooking a day or two in advance. For this recipe, that means browning the beef with the onion and garlic, chopping the vegetables (except for the potatoes; we recommend waiting to chop them until just before adding them to the slow cooker), and cooking the bacon. This way, all you have to do when it’s time to get the soup cooking, is add everything to the slow cooker, turn it on, and go on with your day.The second way to prep this recipe is to, of course, cook the recipe all the way through and then store it. Once it’s cooked, allow the soup to cool and then store the cooked soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up 3 months.
What about toppings?
When it comes to topping this soup, some of our favorites include sliced dill pickles, fine diced red onion, shredded cheese, crispy bacon, parsley, diced cherry tomatoes, croutons, green onions, and a big hunk of crusty bread for dipping.
Can I make cheeseburger soup dairy-free?
This recipe contains a decent amount of milk, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese and for that reason, we would suggest choosing a different recipe if you’re in search of a dairy-free option. For example, our Instant Pot Lasagna Soup can be easily altered to be made dairy-free. We do our best to provide substitutions so that our recipes fit all dietary preferences, because everyone is welcome at our table. This Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup, however, will likely not produce similar outcomes if made dairy-free. But don’t worry! We have tons of delicious dairy-free recipes on our blog. Head on over to our recipe filter and select ‘dairy-free’ to quickly see our long list of all of our dairy-free recipe options that we know you’ll love.
Can I make Cheeseburger Soup in the Instant Pot?
In full transparency, this recipe has not been tested in the Instant Pot. However, if we were to make it in the Instant Pot, here is what we suggest:
Instead of in a skillet, use the sauté function in the Instant Pot to brown the beef, onion, and garlic. Drain the liquid and return the beef mixture to the Instant Pot. To the browned beef mixture in the Instant Pot, add the potatoes, carrots, celery, broth (use 3 cups instead of 4; you can always add more broth, but you can’t take away), Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid, switch the valve to seal, and cook on the high pressure setting for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up, allow to for the natural release of pressure for 10 minutes before switching the valve to vent mode. Remove the lid, and select the sauté function. Add the whole milk, cream cheese, and shredded cheese, and continue to cook (without the lid, stirring occasionally) until the cheese is melted and soup is creamy. Optional step to thicken more: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly add to the soup stirring as you pour it in. Allow to cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the bacon just before serving, reserving 2-3 tablespoons for topping. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Did you make this recipe in the Instant Pot? If so, leave a review down below to let us know how it turns out! We’d so greatly appreciate it.
Can I Make This Soup In a dutch oven on the stove?
Yes, you can absolutely make this recipe on the stovetop. Simply use a large Dutch oven or pot to brown the beef with the onion and garlic. From there, follow the directions below. Add the remaining vegetables, broth, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Once the potatoes are tender, move onto step 4 in the directions below.
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House. For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
