Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup with Bacon
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup features a creamy potato base (think French fries!) loaded with seasoned ground beef, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. For even more authenticity, garnish with tomatoes, onions, pickles, and hamburger bun croutons!
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For more delicious potato-based soups, you'll also love Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Potato Corn Chowder with Ham, or Parmesan Potato Cauliflower Soup!
Before spring officially arrives, I wanted to squeeze in one last (new!) cozy soup recipe. And what better way to bid goodbye to winter than with this mouthwatering Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup, loaded with all of the delectable fixings of a bacon cheeseburger?
(Although, truth be told, this easy slow cooker soup is actually one that my family enjoys year-round!)
A lot of cheeseburger soup recipes out there include a variety of veggies that aren't actually found on a cheeseburger. So when I first developed this recipe for my slow cooker cookbook years ago, I decided to stay true to the ingredients enjoyed on/with a bacon cheeseburger. 🙂
Ingredients
And what ingredients might those be? Well, I'd be happy to explain exactly what you need to make Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup!
- Russet potatoes. Peeled and cut into chunks, for the base of the soup. Because while you may not layer potatoes on a bacon cheeseburger, I'm pretty sure you often enjoy French fries on the side!
- Chicken broth. Or stock. For cooking the potatoes.
- Fresh garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, + freshly ground black pepper. For flavoring the potatoes.
- Lean ground beef. For the "burger" in cheeseburger soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey, if you wish.
- Bacon. Because everything's better with bacon...including cheeseburgers (and cheeseburger soup)!
- Heavy cream. To add a touch of creamy decadence to the potato soup base. Or you could substitute sour cream instead, if you prefer a more tangy undertone.
- Sharp cheddar cheese. Shredded. To stir into the soup and sprinkle on top. You could swap out for another cheese, if you prefer.
- Hamburger buns + butter. Because what's cheeseburger soup without hamburger bun croutons?!
- Garnishes. This recipe really is all about the garnishes to make it complete! In addition to the aforementioned cheese and croutons, you can also offer additional "traditional" cheeseburger toppings to top soup bowls, including thinly sliced onions, diced tomatoes, and diced pickles.
And don't tell my kids, but I often swap half of the potatoes in this recipe for a 1-pound bag of frozen riced cauliflower to sneak extra vitamins into my cheeseburger soup. Once the soup is pureed, nobody can even tell that the cauliflower is in there!
Not a cheeseburger ingredient...but also not an ingredient that anyone will actually detect. 😉
How to Make Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
There are a few simple yet separate components to this soup. You can opt to prep everything in the morning. Or you can get the potatoes going in the morning and then work on the other parts at the end of the day, just before serving.
- In a large slow cooker, combine the potatoes, garlic, chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Cover and cook until the potatoes are completely tender.
- Prepare the croutons by preheating the oven and lining a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a large bowl (or a plastic zip-top bag). Drizzle with the melted butter and stir (or shake well) to coat.
- Spread the bread cubes into an even layer and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and then bake a bit longer until light golden brown. Set aside.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, pot, or Dutch oven. Drain the grease, season with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer the ground beef to a plate to cool.
- Use kitchen shears to snip the bacon directly into the same skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and evenly cooked. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
If the soup won’t be done for a while, store the cooked ground beef and the cooked bacon in the refrigerator once they've cooled down.
- Once the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to purée them with the broth until smooth.
- Stir the shredded cheese into the slow cooker until completely melted and then stir in the heavy cream or sour cream.
- Stir in the cooked ground beef and half of the cooked bacon.
- Season the soup, to taste, with additional salt and pepper if needed. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 more minutes or until all of the ingredients in soup are heated through.
Serve your Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup garnished with any or all of the following: the croutons, additional cheddar, the remaining chopped bacon, chopped tomatoes, thinly-sliced onions, and diced dill pickles!
Stovetop Directions
This bacon cheeseburger soup can be cooked on the stove instead of in the slow cooker. I would cut the potatoes a bit smaller so they cook faster.
1. Make the croutons before starting the soup or while it's cooking.
2. Brown the ground beef and cook the bacon as directed in a large pot or Dutch oven.
3. Wipe out the pot and add the potatoes, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender.
4. Purée the potatoes/broth and then finish the recipe as directed.
The only caveat to converting this recipe to the stove is that you may need to add a bit of additional broth to make sure the potatoes are covered...or to make up for any evaporation.
That being said, you don't want to have too much broth in the pot when you purée the potatoes or your soup will turn out too thin!
So if you think you may have too much broth by the time your potatoes are done cooking, I'd carefully drain some of it into a heat-safe bowl or a big Pyrex measuring cup before puréeing the remaining broth with the potatoes. As you purée, you can always add some (or all) of the reserved broth back into the cheeseburger soup until it reaches your desired consistency.
Make-Ahead + Storage
If you wish, you can easily complete most of the steps of this recipe a day ahead of time, including making the croutons (store at room temperature in an airtight bag or container) and cooking the ground beef and bacon (store in the fridge).
Leftovers of Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup can be transferred to an airtight storage container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave or a small pot on the stove. Multiple servings can be reheated on the stove in a larger pot.
You may need to stir in a small amount of broth or milk/cream during reheating if your cheeseburger soup has gotten too thick.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe due to texture changes upon thawing.
So whether you're wanting to send off winter with one last, delicious hurrah -- or you're craving a big bowl of comfort any ol' month of the year -- this Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup is a winner.
Bacon cheeseburger lovers rejoice! 🙂
More Comforting Slow Cooker Soups
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup with Bacon
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 hamburger buns
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 pound ground beef
- 8 ounces bacon
- 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, plus additional for serving
- ½ cup heavy cream, OR sour cream
- ADDITIONAL GARNISHES: chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, diced pickles
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, combine the potatoes, garlic, chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours) until the potatoes are completely tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the croutons. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes. Add the bread cubes to a gallon-sized plastic bag and drizzle with the melted butter; seal the bag and shake well to coat (alternatively, you may stir in a large bowl for this step). Spread the bread cubes into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Also while the potatoes are cooking (or shortly before they’re done), brown ground beef in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain the grease, season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer the ground beef to a plate to cool, and wipe out the pot.
- Use kitchen shears to snip the bacon directly into the same pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and evenly cooked. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (If the soup won’t be done for a while, store the cooked ground beef and cooked bacon in the refrigerator as soon as they have cooled down.)
- Once the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to pureé the potatoes and broth until smooth. Gradually stir the shredded cheese into the slow cooker until completely melted, and then stir in the heavy cream (or sour cream). Stir in the cooked ground beef and half of the cooked bacon. Season the soup to taste, if needed, with additional salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 more minutes or until all ingredients in soup are heated through. Serve your Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup garnished with croutons, additional cheddar, remaining chopped bacon, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, and diced pickles.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- I often substitute half of the potatoes for a 1-pound bag of frozen riced cauliflower to add more vitamins to this recipe (I just toss it in frozen at the same time as the potatoes and broth). Once the soup is pureed, you can't detect that the cauliflower is in there.
- You can opt to use either heavy cream or sour cream to add creaminess to the soup, keeping in mind that sour cream will contribute a slight tangy undertone.
- If you think the soup is too thick before serving, stir in a splash of chicken broth or additional cream (or milk) to thin it out to your liking.
- You can make the croutons and cook the ground beef and bacon at any point during the day (first thing in the morning when you put the potatoes in the slow cooker, or just before the potatoes are done cooking). Or you can prep them up to 1 day ahead of time and refrigerate until needed.
