These crockpot cheeseburgers are delicious! And they are over the top versatile. You can cook them in the crockpot or on the stovetop. As a freezer meal, you can freeze them before or after cooking. Or change up the flavors just by tossing in a bit of spice or changing your flavor of the cheese. Heck, you can swap the meat as well. ‘Cause ground sausage and leftover chicken work too!
These and a few other sandwich meals like it have become our go to recipes around here. Not because I don’t use my slow cooker(s), I do…there are in an insane amount of recipes coming out in the next couple months… I mean cause of the HEAT.
There are times even grilling is just too much to deal with. So I started experimenting with all sorts of different crock pot sandwiches. This one is one of those.
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Crockpot Cheeseburger Versatility
Here are the details on how to make and change and use this meat filling. If you come up with any other ideas…let me know! I’d love to include it :)
Hybrid Crockpot Meals
Cooking Crockpot Cheeseburgers in the Crockpot
The easiest way to make these crockpot cheeseburgers is with a bit of planning ahead. If the meat is pre-made, then you can toss this yumminess either in the skillet or in the slow cooker. The crockpot comes in handy for multiple reasons…the stove top is quicker but the filling doesn’t have as much time to cook together.
It’s also super handy if you’re feeding a crowd. You can make an insane amount of this filling in one crockpot…like enough for 16 to 20 sandwiches. It can cook while you are doing other stuff then you just freeze it. So next time you’re having a party, watching the game or doing a pot luck…here you go.
- Make-Ahead Slow Cooker Ground Beef is your first ingredient. If you don’t want to go that route, then brown the mixture in the skillet. You need 2 servings of the make-ahead meat. From scratch that is 2 pounds of ground beef, 1 minced onion and 2 to 3 garlic cloves. You do NOT have to add the onion and garlic, that’s a personal choice of mine. We eat it in everything…
- You’ll need cheese. You can use just about any kind you want. I used the original Velveeta. You can use any sort though. regular cheeses will take a bit more stirring…and a bit more evaporated milk.
- So cheese variation wise you can choose all sorts of flavors here. If you stick with Velveeta…you’ve got original, Mex and queso and jalapeno. those are off the top of my head, there are probably more by now.
- You can also use any sort of shredded cheese. And here, your variations for these crockpot cheeseburgers have just sky-rocketed. We’re moving into the realm of never being bored with that plain old sandwich again!
- The second cheese is the cream cheese flavor. You’ll need a canister of cream cheese. The flavored cream cheeses by Philadelphia add a bit more zip. If you can find it, just use a block of cream cheese that’s been softened. Dicing it up works a bit better than what I did in the pictures. Just FYI.
- Cream cheese variations include Onion and Chive, Jalapeno, Garden Vegetable, and Olive.
- Evaporated Milk is the last main ingredient. How much you’ll need will vary depending on what sort of cheese from #2 you use. AND if you intend to freeze it. Freezing it, seems you need a bit more milk if you are freezing it after cooking. It tends to thicken up a lot.
Stovetop Method for Busy Day Meals
Of course, this recipe can be made on the stovetop. It’s very easy and not much different than making sloppy joes.
- Upside to the stovetop version, super quick. Busy, busy days call for this at times :)
- A downside, it’s just not as tasty. Something about the slow cooker allows almost any recipe you make and toss in to meld the flavors so much more.
- The stove top version is very easy and as follows…toss in and fry the meat (with or without onion and garlic, your choice). Turn the burner to low and add your choice of cheeses. Cover and cook until the cheeses melt.
Pinnable & Printable for Crockpot Cheeseburgers
Freezer Directions Printable Recipe
For this recipe, you’ll need to start with precooked hamburger. A long time ago I actually tried crockin’ raw hamburger meat with other foods. It was one of the grossest things I’ve ever seen. The dogs literally wouldn’t eat it. It was horrid. So, that’s just FYI and please learn from my mistake there. But since then, I’ve learned from that mistake and I’m going to plug the make-ahead ground beef mix recipe.
It really can be an awesome CYA sort of thing. It will cook itself overnight too. So consider looking into it. You can always pre-cook a bunch in the skillet too, that’s just going to require a bit of babysitting. So whichever you decide to do a bunch of precooked ground beef bagged up and waiting in the freezer…that’s just a good thing to have around.
- 1 serving of pre-cooked ground beef (1 lb grd beef+1 med diced onion) ~or~ 1 serving make-ahead crockpot ground beef
- 8-ounces of Velveeta or the same amount of any shredded cheeses (flavors) you want
- 1 tub Onion & Chive cream cheese
- ¼ to ½ cup evaporated milk
- Toss everything in the bag.
- Partially zip the bag and squeeze out as much air as possible and seal.
- Label with contents and date cooked or "use by" date, your choice (good up to 3 months)
- Defrost at least 30 minutes on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Dump the contents in your crockpot.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours until the cheeses are melted.
- Serve on buns
- Two options here in the beginning...
- You can start with make-ahead ground beef via the crockpot ground beef recipe or the make-ahead freezer ground beef skillet method (either will need defrosted in the refrigerator for a few hours)
- OR
- Cook the ground beef and minced onion in a skillet over meduim heat until cooked and no longer pink. Stir and chop frequently.
- Add the minced garlic and cooked another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain the grease off the meat and turn the heat to low.
- Add the cheeses and milk the skillet, cover and allow the cheeses to melt (2 to 5 minutes, depending on the type of skillet and the heat it inducts).
- Stir to combine and serve on buns or in wraps.
- If you want to save yourself a ton of time. This might be a method you'd be interested in...
- Cook the make-ahead ground beef overnight. I used
a [ url href="http://If you want to save yourself a ton of time. This might be a method you'd be interested in... Cook the make-ahead ground beef overnight. I used a 7-quart crock-pot, it easily held 4 pounds. Drain off the broth and meat mixture. Measure it either via a scale or using a measuring cup. Separate the meat into the number of pounds you cooked...Cooking 4-pounds of meat means you have 4 cooked servings... Add your desired cheese (Velveeta or shredded cheese). Add your chosen cream cheese. Pour in a bit of milk in the bag." target="_blank" rel="nofollow "]7-quart crock-pot[/url], it easily held 4 pounds. - Drain off the broth and meat mixture.
- Measure it either via a scale or using a measuring cup. Separate the meat into the number of pounds you cooked...Cooking 4-pounds of meat means you have 4 cooked servings...
- Add your desired cheese (Velveeta or shredded cheese).
- Add your chosen cream cheese.
- Pour in a bit of milk in the bag.
- Squeeze out the air from the bag, label and freeze flat up to 3 months.
If you'd like to saveyourself even more time...pre-cook everything. These crockpot cheeseburgers freeze GREAT! Just pre-cook according to the recipe directions and defrost overnight in the refrigerator. You can warm it up in a skillet or in the crockpot. Or even the microwave. How's that one for a 5-minute meal!
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