Crockpot cheeseburger soup is the perfect way to soup up the beloved cheeseburger for a more flexible and nutritious meal.
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I love cheeseburgers, but when I am not up to grilling, this slow cooker cheeseburger soup steps up and fills the gap. It melds the ingredients and maintains all the great flavors—especially the cheesy goodness—but with the ease of cooking in a slow cooker. And dinner stays hot until you're ready to eat, so it's perfect for those evenings when everyone comes home hungry, but not at the same time.
Also? A regular cheeseburger is no match for the veggies in slow cooker cheeseburger soup. Already-grated carrots and frozen hash browns mean you'll cut your vegetable prep time, too.
I also have a stovetop version of Cheeseburger Soup that's quick and easy when you don't have time in the morning for slow cooker prep.
If you like crock pot soups with potatoes, you may also want to try my Hash Brown Potato Soup or Cheesy Crockpot Potato Kielbasa Soup. My absolute favorite hearty, creamy soup is copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi soup.
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What you need to make Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
- Ground beef. You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison if desired. See my prep tip below about bulk cooking ground beef—if you have cooked ground beef in the freezer, prep for this soup is even easier.
- Onion.
- Carrots. Save time by starting with pre-shredded carrots.
- Celery.
- Vegetable oil. Butter can be substituted.
- Chicken broth or stock. You can use canned or boxed chicken broth, or you can plan this meal the same week you serve roast chicken or have a rotisserie chicken. Cover the carcass and skin with water in a slow cooker and simmer for several ours for a rich stock to use in soup. Strain, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Frozen hash brown potatoes. You can use diced fresh potatoes if you prefer.
- All purpose flour.
- Velveeta cheese. You can substitute shredded cheddar cheese if needed, but Velveeta gives this soup its creamy base. If substituting cheddar, reduce amount by one-third to one-half.
- Milk.
- Dried basil.
- Sour cream.
- Salt and pepper.
- Not pictured: Fresh basil, parsley, or green onions for garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Drain and set aside. Chop onion and dice celery.
Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and 1 teaspoon dried basil in 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in the same pan until tender.
Place the vegetables (including any excess vegetable oil) in the slow cooker. Add the flour and mix well. Then add the chicken broth, frozen diced potatoes, and cooked ground beef. Stir gently until mixed and flour dissolves.
Cube the Velveeta cheese and add it with the milk, salt, and pepper to the crockpot. Gently stir.
Cover and cook, stirring every couple of hours, for about 5 hours. Turn off heat and add sour cream. Stir until blended. Serve garnished with shredded cheddar cheese , fresh basil, parsley, or green onions if desired.
Crockpot tip
You'll need to adjust the cooking time of this recipe based on your individual appliance. Slow cookers give different results based on brand, size, and how full they are, so keep that in mind when planning your cook time. A 6-quart crockpot will cook the same recipe much faster than a 4-quart or 3-quart crockpot.
On top of that, not all crockpots cook at the temperature they are supposed to (you can use this method to test your crockpot temperature). The bottom line is that unlike oven cooking, there is no way to exactly predict the time needed to perfectly cook in a crockpot because they vary so much.
I use a 6-quart crockpot—the size is perfect for the recipes I make, and it gives me the options I need without needing to learn complicated programming modes. I like the ability to choose how long to cook at high or low. It automatically switches to the "keep warm" function after the cooking time ends.
Cheeseburger soup variations
Change up the flavor or texture of Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup:
- Spicy. Add a can of drained diced green chilis, or top with sliced fresh jalapeños, crispy jalapeños (my all-time favorite add-on), or Pepper Jack cheese.
- Dill pickle. Top with dill pickle slices for even more authentic cheeseburger taste.
- Crunchy. Top each bowl with crispy fried onions, potato chips, or croutons.
Time-saving tips
- Keep bulk-cooked ground beef in the freezer to speed up preparations for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals. When you find ground beef on sale, buy several pounds and cook it all at once. Store in the freezer in portions equal to the number of pounds you purchased. Cooked beef takes up less space and buying on sale saves money, so it's a win-win.
- Keep a selection of sautéed onions and sautéed onions and celery in the freezer. While freezing raw onions tends to result in too much moisture after thawing—causing more of a boiling effect—sautéing them before freezing preserves the texture and flavor.
If you have cooked ground beef and sautéed onions and celery in the freezer, you can skip the skillet cooking in this recipe and put everything straight into the slow cooker.
Storage & Freezing
Cheeseburger Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When reheating, add additional broth, milk, or water if the soup is too thick.
You can freeze this cheeseburger soup recipe by partially preparing it. Prepare up to the point of (and including) adding the flour. Combine the cooked ground beef, sautéed vegetables in flour, and hash browns in a freezer-safe container and label as follows:
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup Date____________________
Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Add to slow cooker with 3 cups of chicken broth, 16 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese, 1½ cups milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat, stirring gently, until cheese melts and soup is hot. Remove from heat and add ¼ cup sour cream. Stir until well mixed and serve immediately.
FAQs
Can I freeze Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup?
You can freeze the soup, but it is best to prepare the soup specifically for freezing according to our instructions above. Freezing the partially prepared soup and adding the liquids after thawing will give the best results.
Is Cheeseburger Soup gluten-free?
You can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix in place of the all-purpose flour. If you use authentic Velveeta cheese, Kraft's labeling policy combined with the list of ingredients in Velveeta indicates that it is gluten-free. Other brands of processed cheese may not be gluten-free. Always verify the ingredients on the actual product.
How do I store the leftovers?
Cheeseburger Soup can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When reheating, add additional broth, milk, or water if soup is too thick.
Recipe
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 16 ounces frozen diced potatoes
- ¼ cup flour
- 16 ounces Velveeta cheese
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil, parsley, or green onions , for garnish if desired
- shredded cheddar cheese , for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Brown 1 pound ground beef in a large skillet. Drain and set aside.
- Chop 1 onion and dice 2 stalks celery.
- Sauté onion, ¾ cup shredded carrots, celery, and 1 teaspoon dried basil in 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in the same pan until tender.
- Place the vegetables (including any excess vegetable oil) in the slow cooker.
- Add ¼ cup flour and mix well.
- Add 3 cups chicken broth, 16 ounces frozen diced potatoes, and cooked ground beef. Stir gently until mixed and flour dissolves.
- Cube 16 ounces Velveeta cheese.
- Add the cheese, 1½ cups milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring every couple of hours, for about 5 hours.
- Turn off heat and add ¼ cup sour cream. Stir until blended.
- Serve. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese , fresh basil, parsley, or green onions if desired.
Notes
- Keep bulk-cooked ground beef in the freezer to speed up preparations for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals. When you find ground beef on sale, buy several pounds and cook it all at once. Store in the freezer in portions equal to the number of pounds you purchased. Cooked beef takes up less space and buying on sale saves money, so it's a win-win.
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