Extra Thick Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup (Chowder)

This is a great tasting extra thick Cheeseburger Soup that will become a great addition to your cold-weather rotation. A "stick to your bones" type of soup.

This is a recipe that was suggested by my wife after having a similar dish at one of our favorite restaurants. Think of it as an extra thick cheesy potato soup with some burger.

I am calling this an extra thick soup, but it can also be called a chowder which is a thick soup based on a white sauce. A white sauce is based on a roux with flour which it the thickening method of this recipe.

This is the first soup in my "Week of Soups."

Pre-Week of Soup Recipes

1. Easy Crock Pot French Onion Soup
2. Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup

Week of Soups Recipes

1. Extra Thick Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup
2. Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
3. Simple Crock Pot Chicken Stew
4. Old Fashion Vegetable Beef Soup
5. Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
6. Excellent Taco Soup in a Crock Pot
7. The Best Crock Pot Beef Stew

My Rating

A lower 5 or high 4. I was hungry and loved a thick cheese soup, so I'm going with the 5.

Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Hamburger Soup:

The model recipe I settled on was a Taste of Home recipe that was stovetop. It was not exactly what we wanted. I wanted the crock pot. Plus I wanted some other adjustments.

The big change was the thickness of the soup along with the crock pot conversion. I doubled the thickening and made exactly what we wanted. That was done by doubling the roux (butter and flour).

Ingredient Adjustments

I knocked the potato down a bit. There was more potato than want we wanted. Also, be sure that the potato is chopped smaller than then other soups. I suggest 1/2 inch or a bit smaller.

The burger is double the model but suggested by commenters, and an obvious must do.

I consider the basil and parsley flakes optional. I did them but felt they didn't add anything other than a hint of basil that didn't seem needed.

The model recipe measured the veggies in cups. I have never liked that. I know it is more accurate, but for soup and chili, I will go with two carrots, not 1 cup. It is just easier. So all veggies are by number and not finished volume

Thickening soup in the crock pot.

This recipe depends on a roux to thick the soup in the crock pot. A roux (pronounced roo) is the best way to thicken in a crock pot and almost any other liquid like gravy.

Here we are using equal parts of butter and flour. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes. Then we add some liquid (milk here) and allow it to thicken before adding to the crock pot. If you want a somewhat thinner more soup like result, the cut the butter and flour in half.

You can also use tapioca, cornstarch, or arrowroot which are less fussy for thickening in a crockpot. What doesn't do well is just added flour to the recipe.

I do not like cornstarch here since reheating a liquid that has been thickened with cornstarch gives a gel-like consistency.

What cheese to choose?

I continued my love of Velveeta. It melts well, and I do love the taste. OK, I know that is not "gourmet or foodie" like but this is an everyday cooking blog. But any American or cheddar cheese should be fine. Or go wild and use the cheeses of your choice.

Conversion to the crock pot

This was relatively easy. There had to be a stovetop part of this recipe, and it needed to be near the end.

So part one, cook the veggies in the broth. The broth was decreased a bit to make one even can.

Part two, stovetop and everything else. The fluid from part one was made up in part two with milk to increase creaminess.

Most of the ingredients set in your kitchen now.

Peel and chop 3-4 medium potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes to make 3-4 cups. Peel and shred 2 medium carrots and chop one small onion and one stalk (rib) of celery.

Add veggies to larger crock pot. Add 2 cups low sodium chicken broth. Optionally add one teaspoon dry parsley and 1 teaspoon basil. Cook on low for 4 hours.

At 4 hours, brown 1 pound of ground beef. Drain the beef and add to the crock pot.

Wipe out the pan. Melt one stick  (8 tablespoons) butter. Add 1/2 cup flour, whisk for several minutes until changing color slightly. Add 2 1/2 cup milk. Whisk continuously for a few minutes while adding 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add to crock pot and mix well. Add 1 pound cheese of choice. Velveeta for me. Cook one additional hour on HIGH.

Top the way you would your cheeseburger. I love some bacon, tomato, and pickle.

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4.73 from 18 votes

Extra Thick Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup

This is a great tasting extra thick Cheeseburger Soup that will become a great addition to your cold-weather rotation. A "stick to your bones" type of soup.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time5 hrs

Total Time5 hrs 20 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 8

Ingredients

Part one

• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 rib celery
• 1 small onion
• 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1 teaspoon dry parsley - optional
• 1 teaspoon dry basil - optional

Part two

• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 tablespoons butter - 1 stick
• 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound cheese of choice - Velveeta for me

US Customary - Convert to Metric

Instructions

• Peel and chop 3-4 medium potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes to make 3-4 cups. Peel and shred 2 medium carrots and chop one small onion and one stalk (rib) of celery.
• Add veggies to larger crock pot. Add 2 cups low sodium chicken broth. Optionally add one teaspoon dry parsley and 1 teaspoon basil. Cook on low for 4 hours.
• At 4 hours, brown 1 pound of ground beef. Drain the beef and add to the crock pot.
• Wipe out pan. Melt one stick  (8 tablespoons) butter. Add 1/2 cup flour, whisk for several minutes until changing color slightly. Add 2 1/2 cup milk. Whisk continuously for a few minutes while adding 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Add to crock pot and mix well. Add 1 pound cheese of choice. Velveeta for me. Cook one additional hour on HIGH.
• Top the way you would your cheeseburger. I love some bacon, tomato and pickle. 

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

1. As written, this needs a larger crock pot of 6 qt or more. A half recipe would fit in a 3 qt. crock pot.
2. Use the cheese of your choice.
3. This is good in the refigerator for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.
4. If you want a somewhat thinner more soup like result, the cut the butter and flour in half.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

 

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ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.  

Nutrition

Calories: 360 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 17 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g | Trans Fat: 0.4 g | Cholesterol: 75 mg | Sodium: 459 mg | Potassium: 549 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 3300 IU | Vitamin C: 6.6 mg | Calcium: 120 mg | Iron: 2.3 mg

 

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

 

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Originally Published January 7, 2018