Cheeseburger Soup

Going through a desert can make you hungry. Well. It didn't make me very hungry at the time, but I can imagine you all are working up an appetite reading about it. So I thought I'd throw in a recipe just for kicks.

This is cheeseburger soup. Don't wrinkle up your nose just yet. It may sound strange, but I assure you it is fab-u-lous.

The church I used to attend spent a winter doing fellowship nights that began with carry-in dinners. One night was a soup night. I went to it, but I was feeling very sick that night, so I didn't eat anything. Someone later told me this soup was their favorite of that whole night, and they gave me the recipe. One evening, when I planned for company, I made this - and it became an instant favorite. Plus, it makes a pretty decent amount, so it's a good dish for company.

With fall just days away, it seemed a fitting recipe to share!!

The Recipe

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
1/4 cup Velveeta, cubed
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream.

Brown and drain the beef and set it aside. In large saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley in 1 Tablespoon of butter until vegetables are tender - about ten minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes, or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat. Blend in sour cream.


I almost couldn't get all the ingredients in the picture! As usual, I substitute onion flakes for real onion so I don't have to chop it. I do use 1% milk and it works out just fine. I do NOT buy generic Velveeta. It's one of the few things that I've noticed doesn't work as well as name brand.

Start out by browning and draining the beef...

While that cooks, I start grating the carrots. I just buy the baby carrots so I can eat the leftover ones later!

Dicing the celery is another good chore to do while the hamburger browns....

I admit I'm terrible at reading recipe directions accurately. I put in ALL the butter at the beginning every blessed time. But I honestly think it helps the saute go faster. I do use the same saucepan I'm going to use for the soup itself as I do for this step. Saves washing a dish!

This is what it looks like after it cooks for a while...

Add the broth...the burger...and the potatoes...

Looks like some butter doesn't it? Cubed Velveeta....

Because I use up all the butter too early, I have to end up throwing the flour in by itself -but it really does work out fine. I promise!

Add the Velveeta...and at that point, it just becomes a game of waiting for it to melt.

Add the sour cream and stir it up well!

Isn't it so pretty? Tastes every bit as good as it looks!

Best of all - it reheats well, so you can eat it for days!