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Cozy up with a warm bowl of comforting and flavorful Cheeseburger Soup! Bacon, ground beef, potatoes, and herbs come together in a creamy, cheesy broth, making this hearty chowder a delicious family meal. Serve the easy bacon cheeseburger soup with a crisp green salad and a pan of cornbread for your next Sunday supper!
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
That’s right, your favorite diner sandwich becomes a soup! Think of this dish as a potato and ground beef chowder with a smooth, cheesy, broth — what’s not to love? The idea for the cozy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup recipe originally came from a reader named Susie, who had enjoyed a bowl of the soup while visiting Amish country in Pennsylvania. She requested a homemade version that she could prepare in her own kitchen, and this is the end result!
If you’re not familiar with cheeseburger soup, the creamy, cheesy, Velveeta-rich broth tastes very similar to a classic Broccoli Cheese Soup. Throw in some ground beef, potatoes and bacon (instead of broccoli), and you’ve got a hearty pot of downhome goodness to share with your loved ones. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs chowder that fills you up and keeps you satisfied — perfect for my house with 4 hungry boys!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for a pot of bacon cheeseburger soup. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Ground beef: creates a hearty, meaty, chowder with that great “burger” taste.
- Center-cut bacon: gets nice and crispy, and provides just the right amount of drippings in the pot (not too much grease).
- Butter: to sauté the vegetables and make the roux that thickens the soup.
- Onion, celery and carrot: the savory vegetable base for the soup.
- Basil, parsley, paprika, bay leaf and garlic: add even more flavor.
- All-purpose flour: creates the roux that thickens the soup.
- Chicken broth: to thin the broth and balance the richness of the cheese and milk.
- Russet potatoes: for great flavor and satisfying texture.
- Velveeta cheese: I know that this ingredient can be quite controversial, so see my note below if you prefer to substitute with other types of cheese. That said, Velveeta provides (by far!) the best, smoothest, creamiest texture for a cheesy soup.
- Milk: use 2% or whole milk. Lower-fat substitutes will not provide the same mouthfeel.
How to Make Cheeseburger Soup
Need a warm, comforting supper on a chilly day? Whip up a pot of this easy bacon cheeseburger soup for a soul-satisfying dish that tastes like a hug from Grandma!
- Brown the ground beef; set aside.
- Fry the bacon.
- Sauté the vegetables in bacon drippings and butter.
- Stir in flour, then chicken broth.
- Add the potatoes and the bay leaf, bring to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked beef, cheese, milk and paprika.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with your favorite toppings, and serve!
What to Serve with Easy Cheeseburger Soup
The bacon cheeseburger soup has a rich, creamy and mild taste, so it pairs beautifully with a crisp green salad or a Caesar salad. It also goes well with saltines or oyster crackers, homemade buttermilk biscuits, a loaf of crusty bread, 3-ingredient sour cream muffins, corn sticks, or a pan of cornbread for dipping.
Storage
Properly stored in an airtight container, the soup will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To Reheat: Place the soup in a pot and warm over a low flame, just until heated through. Be careful not to let the soup boil.
Can you freeze cheeseburger soup?
I do not recommend freezing this cheeseburger soup recipe, as the milk will “break” or separate when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- Omit the bacon and just use an extra tablespoon of butter to sauté the veggies.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Since this soup doesn’t freeze well, you might like to cut all of the ingredients in half and just prepare a smaller batch to serve 2-4 people.
- Cheddar cheese: while Velveeta provides the best creamy texture, you can substitute with cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack or Colby cheese if you prefer. You can also use a mix of cheeses (for instance, half Velveeta and half cheddar).
- If using regular or thick-cut bacon instead of center-cut bacon, leave just 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot and strain off the rest. You don’t want your soup to be greasy.
Tips for the Best Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
- Prep ahead: cook the beef in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of days (or in the freezer for up to 3 months) until you’re ready to make the soup. It cuts out an extra step and makes the prep time even faster!
- When adding the broth to the pot, deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. This adds so much flavor to the soup!
- Velveeta provides (by far!) the best, smoothest, creamiest texture for a cheesy soup. Yes, you can substitute with other types of cheese…but the soup will not have the same taste or mouthfeel.
- Allow the milk to come to room temperature before stirring it into the soup.
- Once you add the milk and cheese, do not let the soup boil. If you boil the milk or cheese, the soup may curdle or separate.
More Easy Soup Recipes to Try
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Meatball Soup with Cheese Tortellini
- Grandmother’s Hamburger Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
- Minestrone Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 large carrot (or 2 small carrots), peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium russet potatoes (about 6 ounces each), peeled and diced into ½-inch dice
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 2 cups milk (I use 2% milk, but whole milk is also a good option), at room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste (if your broth is salted, you might not need any additional salt at all, so taste first)
- Optional garnish: additional cooked, crumbled bacon; chopped fresh herbs; sliced green onion
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off the fat; set the beef aside on a plate.
- In the same pot, cook bacon over medium heat until lightly browned and the fat has rendered. You should have about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pot (if there’s a lot more than that, strain off any excess). Add the butter. When the butter melts, stir in the onion, celery, carrots, basil and parsley. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 more seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally while the potatoes cook.
- Reduce the heat to a very low flame. Stir in the cooked beef, Velveeta cheese, milk and paprika. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Discard bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
- Prep ahead: cook the beef in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of days (or in the freezer for up to 3 months) until you’re ready to make the soup. It cuts out an extra step and makes the prep time even faster!
- When adding the broth to the pot, deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. This adds so much flavor to the soup!
- Velveeta provides (by far!) the best, smoothest, creamiest texture for a cheesy soup. Yes, you can substitute with other types of cheese…but the soup will not have the same taste or mouthfeel.
- Allow the milk to come to room temperature before stirring it into the soup.
- Once you add the milk and cheese, do not let the soup boil. If you boil the milk or cheese, the soup may curdle or separate.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in November, 2017. It was updated in November, 2021.
Hello, Blair.
Oh my goodness! Why didn’t I know that cheeseburger soups existed? Am I living under a rock? I love soups, especially the creamy ones with crunchy croutons on it.
Thanks, Eliza!
When you say to purée the soup in blender, are you referring to the potato, celery, onion, and broth mixture?
Yes. 🙂
Hi Blair,
I made this recipe tonight for the first time. I used turkey bacon and chopped up some green onions for garnish as well as shredded mild cheddar. All I can say, is my husband kept slapping his knee while he ate and repeating “BABE, THIS IS SO FREAKING GOOD!” LOL. He’s currently working on his second bowl! Needless to say, I’ve added this one to my saved recipes.
That’s awesome, Tameka! Thank you for letting me know. I’m so glad that your husband approved! 🙂
Wow this looks incredible, perfect comfort food for Autumn!
Exactly! So cozy!
In recipes that call for Velveeta, I use white American cheese. I try to buy white cheeses, ..cheddar, American, etc. because I feel the Orange cheeses are from added food coloring…am I correct? With the exception of Yoder’s Daisy cheddar… I love that cheese so much I ignore the Orange color!!….
I get the White American from the deli when using it for soups and tell them to just slice it in a thick slab since I’m going to cut it up in pieces to melt in soup… a hunk like Velveeta is sold.
It melts and gives the soup the final consistency like Velveeta does.
Hi, Debbie! I think the white American cheese should be a fine substitute for the Velveeta. According to this article, the yellow American cheese has a higher fat content than the white, which gives it a softer texture and a richer flavor. Yellow cheese tends to have a sharper tangy flavor, while white cheese is milder. That said, if you’ve typically used the white and enjoyed it, there’s no reason to think it won’t work fine here. 🙂
Here’s the article: https://survivalfreedom.com/white-vs-yellow-american-cheese-is-there-a-difference/