Easy Cheeseburger Soup

This cheeseburger soup is the perfect way to enjoy the delicious flavors of a burger without breaking out the grill! Thick and hearty with ground beef, diced potatoes, and a creamy cheesy sauce, this frugal comfort food meal will be a winner with the whole family!

Ground beef is a staple in our house. It’s an inexpensive protein, easy to find organic or grass-fed, includes healthy fat, and you can literally make hundreds of different recipes with it.

My husband isn’t a huge fan of ground beef (he says it’s a texture thing), but my kids and I love it!

They’re always asking to make Migas or Italian Meatballs, or if we can have a spaghetti night with my Meaty Spaghetti Sauce.

Sometimes I make a batch of seasoned ground beef in the Instant Pot just so it’s ready for them in the fridge!

When the weather is cool though, we tend to lean less towards burgers on the grill and more towards soups. What better way to get the best of both worlds than cheeseburger soup?

Aside from being a yummy kid favorite, this easy cheeseburger soup is also:

Inexpensive: Ground beef is one of the more inexpensive protein options, and the other ingredients are likely already in your kitchen.
Healthy: Made with simple ingredients, this cheeseburger soup covers all the bases for a balanced meal.
Quick and easy: This yummy one-pot dinner is ready in 30 minutes.
Versatile: Make cheeseburger soup in the slow cooker or Instant Pot for a more hands-off meal for busy weeknights
Gluten-free: No flour needed here! You can also adapt this recipe to be dairy-free by leaving out the cheese for a hamburger soup that’s still hearty and delicious!
Can stretch to feed even more: If the grocery budget is tight or there are still a few days until the next paycheck, or even if you just want leftovers for a night off from cooking, stretch the ground beef or add additional beans and veggies to make this pot of soup last longer!
Great for company or sharing with a family in need.

Let me show you how easy and delicious cheeseburger potato soup can be!

Large pot with ground beef and veggies, there is a wooden spatula stirring the mixture that makes cheeseburger soup.

CHEESEBURGER SOUP RECIPE INGREDIENTS

The ingredient list for this cheeseburger soup recipe looks long, but don’t be intimidated. It’s the same core ingredients as many ground beef soup recipes, plus a few items that make THIS cheeseburger chowder stand out from all the rest.

Ground beef. You need one pound lean ground beef, but I’ve used ground turkey in the past. You can also use ground chicken or ground pork if you prefer. If the budget is tight, you can first make a batch of Stretched Ground Beef and then use 2 cups of that for the pound of ground beef in this recipe.
Onion + carrots + celery. Classic soup veggies.
Large potatoes. Instead of buns, we’re using diced potatoes! Yukon gold potatoes stand up well in soup, but any regular potatoes will work. Substitute radishes or cauliflower for a low-carb cheeseburger soup recipe.
Garlic + salt + pepper. These basic seasonings add just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the rest of the ingredients.
Beans or lentils. These are 100% optional and we actually prefer to leave them out. But, if you need this soup to go just a bit further, adding some legumes can go a long way.
Chicken broth. Beef broth or vegetable broth can also work in a pinch.
Ketchup + mustard. I know it sounds weird but trust me – this is what makes the soup taste like a cheeseburger!
Cheese. Keep the cheese for a cheeseburger soup or leave it out for a hamburger soup. We like to shred our own cheese, but pre-shredded cheese will work.

My favorite source for ground beef is Butcher Box. I especially love it when they run their promotion to get free ground beef in every box – it’s perfect for including cheeseburger soup on the meal plan!

Butcher Box delivers grass-fed beef, pasture-raised and organic chicken, and heritage pork directly to your front door each month. You can read my honest review of Butcher Box here, and how to make Butcher Box worth the cost here.

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HOW TO MAKE CHEESEBURGER SOUP

This soup is a “chop as you go” type of soup, meaning you’re chopping what’s needed for the next step as the first step is cooking. This means there’s ZERO cheeseburger soup prep time – it actually IS a 30-minute recipe! If the pot is done but you’re still chopping, just turn the heat to low until you’re ready for the next step.

Step 1: Brown the ground beef in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. There’s no need to add any cooking fat. Use a potato masher to crumble the ground beef as it’s cooking.

Tip: I recommend this style of potato masher a million times versus this one or this one. You want the big, broad wires to break up the ground beef, not those tiny little holes. Plus, this broad-style masher also makes the creamiest guacamole (and it mashes potatoes pretty well too!).

Step 2: When the ground beef is almost done, add the diced onion, diced celery, and diced carrots. Stir well and let the vegetables cook for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are softened.

Diced potatoes and spices and broth in a large pot.

Step 3: Add the diced potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, beans, and 3 cups of chicken broth. Bring the soup just to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will absorb liquid as they cook, so check in about 10-12 minutes and add the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth if needed to cook the potatoes or thin the soup.

Step 4: When the potatoes are fork-tender, add the ketchup, mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir well until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

Big pile of shredded cheese in a large pot of cheeseburger soup. Large spoon stirring the soup.

HOW TO STORE EASY CHEESEBURGER SOUP

Once the soup has cooled, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Repurposed spaghetti sauce jars are great for this.

You can freeze the soup too! I recommend freezing in either quarts or gallons, depending on the size of your family. Use jars, airtight containers, or a freezer bag.

This soup doesn’t taste as good at room temperature (unlike Zuppa Toscana), so we don’t pack it for school lunches.

I prefer to reheat cheeseburger potato soup on the stove. If you use the microwave, place a Tupperware lid over the bowl to prevent splattering and making a mess.

CHEESEBURGER GROUND BEEF SOUP RECIPE VARIATIONS

It’s worth noting that cheeseburger soup is not brothy like Minestrone Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup. It has a thick texture, almost a cheeseburger chowder if you will. But it’s absolutely delicious!

Add diced dill pickles and additional cheese as optional toppings for this cheeseburger soup.
In fact, why not some diced onions or green onions? If you like them on your cheeseburger, you’ll like them in this soup.
Add some crumbled bacon and you have a bacon cheeseburger soup!
Substitute radishes or cauliflower for potatoes and you have a keto cheeseburger soup.
If you’re dairy-free, skip the cheese for a hearty hamburger soup.
For an extra creamy soup, stir a bit of sour cream or Greek yogurt right into the soup (once you’ve removed it from the heat).
A teaspoon of dried parsley flakes or dried basil as a garnish can help make ground beef soup recipes look a bit more presentable to picky eaters.
If you have hamburger buns, why not toast them up and make bun croutons?! Follow my homemade crouton method here.
Add a little kick with some red pepper flakes or Hot Sauce!
Serve alongside a side salad with some of your favorite burger toppings for a complete cheeseburger experience!

Bowl of homemade cheeseburger soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions.

FAQS FOR SOUPS WITH GROUND BEEF RECIPES

What can I substitute for ground beef?

You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or even Italian sausage if you prefer. If the budget is tight, you can first make a batch of Stretched Ground Beef and then use 2 cups of that in this recipe.

Can you substitute velveeta for the shredded cheese?

You can, but it’s not something I recommend because Velveeta cheese isn’t actually cheese. (Have you read the ingredient list?) If you don’t like sharp cheddar cheese, consider using pepper jack cheese, Swiss cheese, or Colby jack cheese. You can even stir in cream cheese!

How can I cook cheeseburger soup in the crock pot?

To make crockpot cheeseburger soup, follow the same instructions as the recipe card below, but brown the ground beef in a skillet instead, drain the excess grease, and transfer the cooked ground beef to the slow cooker. Add everything else and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.

What are some other soups with ground beef recipes?

This cheeseburger soup is one of our favorite ground beef soup recipes, but we also like to add ground beef to soups with a Mexican flavor, like Tortilla Soup or Mexican Potato Soup.

MORE DELICIOUS SOUP RECIPES

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Cheeseburger Soup

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Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 0 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: serves 6
Category: Soup and Salad
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, brown the ground beef over medium heat. There’s no need to add any cooking fat. Use a potato masher to crumble the ground beef as it’s cooking.
When the ground beef is almost done, add the diced onion, diced celery, and diced carrots. Stir well and let the vegetables cook for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are softened.
Add the diced potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, beans, and 3 cups of chicken broth, and bring the soup just to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer. The potatoes will absorb liquid as they cook, so check in about 10-12 minutes and add the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock if needed to cook the potatoes and/or thin the soup.
When the potatoes are fork-tender, add the ketchup, mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir well until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

Notes

You can substitute with ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken. If the budget is tight, consider making one batch of Stretched Ground Beef and subbing 2 cups into this recipe. If you do this, skip step 1 of cooking, add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan before adding the diced vegetables, and add the stretched ground beef with the potatoes.
You can use any type of potato. I typically don’t peel them first, but you can if you’d like. I recommend dicing to ¼” so they’re easy to eat in the soup.
The beans/lentils are optional but do help to stretch the soup. You can also use an additional one pound of ground beef if you prefer.
Substitute vegetable stock if you don’t have chicken stock.
I don’t recommend horseradish mustard for this recipe, but if you can find dill mustard, it’s absolutely fantastic!
I like to use sharp cheddar cheese, but any shredded cheese will work. Pepperjack would be great for a little bit of heat!