Sometimes all you need is a thick and creamy, decadent soup to warm and fill you up. Chicken noodle soup is delicious and soothing, but that’s not what we’re going for today; we’re seeking for extravagance and plenty of flavor. That’s how this insanely delectable slow cooker cheeseburger soup came to be. Now,

Sometimes all you need is a thick and creamy, decadent soup to warm and fill you up. Chicken noodle soup is delicious and soothing, but that’s not what we’re going for today; we’re seeking for extravagance and plenty of flavor. That’s how this insanely delectable slow cooker cheeseburger soup came to be. We’ve made a slow cooker cheeseburger soup before, but we thought it was time to refresh it with one item in particular.
We utilized cheddar cheese in our original recipe, which is tasty and excellent but doesn’t melt very smoothly. We wanted an extremely smooth basis for our soup this time, so we used (the rather contentious) velveeta cheese. Using velveeta results in a super smooth soup without having to tear up stringy chunks of cheese or deal with milk lipids that are being broken down. If velveeta isn’t your thing, feel free to substitute another cheese, but know that the consistency of the soup will be excellent if you do.
We added a roux in addition to the velveeta to give this soup the thickness we desired. This butter-flour-milk mixture is added near the end, and trust us when we say: do not neglect this step. It adds so much flavor to the finished soup that it wouldn’t be the same without it. We added carrots, celery, and onion to offer a great depth of flavor and round things out a bit. If you enjoy cheeseburgers or hearty soups as much as we do, this soup is a must-try. Try it out and see if you like it.

30 minutes active time; 4 hours inactive time to prepare feeds 8-10 people

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef, lean
1 (16 oz.) container cubed velveeta 1 finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely sliced carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery 4 small peeled and diced potatoes
3 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
2 quarts whole milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 stick (quarter cup) unseasoned butter
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
To taste, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Bacon crumbs
grated Cheddar cheese
PREPARATION
Cook the ground beef in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
After draining the fat, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. In a skillet, melt the butter and mix in the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the roux is golden brown, then whisk in the whole milk. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper before refrigerating until ready to use.
Cover beef, onion, carrot, celery, and potatoes in slow cooker with chicken broth. Season with basil and parsley, cover, and simmer for 3-4 hours on high, or until potatoes are cooked.
Stir in the chilled roux mixture, followed by the cubed velveeta. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the soup is thick and smooth.
Serve hot, with cheese and bacon bits on top. Enjoy!