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Super easy, kid friendly crock pot cheeseburger soup! With crockpot, skillet, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!
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Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup

Super easy, kid-friendly crock pot cheeseburger soup! With crockpot, skillet, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen.com

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 med onion chopped
  • 2 med carrots diced or shredded
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 1 can chicken broth 14.5 oz
  • 1 can chicken gravy 10 oz
  • 3 cups hash brown potatoes
  • 12 ounces Velveeta or shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups regular or evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

All Cooking Methods

  • Precook your ground beef and drain most of the grease. If you'd rather get a jump start, check out our make-ahead ground beef recipe.

Slow Cooker

  • Add the butter, chicken broth, and chicken gravy, stir well. Add the beef, vegetables, and herbs. Stir again.
  • Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours; high 3 to 4 hours.
  • About 30 minutes before serving add the cheese and milk using the Instant Pot directions, line #3. Stir and cover. Allow the soup to heat through and the cheese to melt before serving

Instant Pot

  • If you haven't cooked the ground beef, use the saute function to cook the meat and onion. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent. Drain meat but do not blot.
  • Turn the pot off and add the carrots, celery, chicken broth, potatoes, basil, and parsley. Close lid and vent, manual high for 7 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
  • Stir soup base and remove about a cup of the broth. Slowly stir the hot broth with the chicken gravy. Add the milk and stir well. Turn to pot and incorporate.
  • Stir in the cheese and sour cream. Turn to saute. Stir frequently until cheeses are melted. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Stovetop

  • Use a large, deep skillet to saute the ground beef, onion, carrots, and celery over medium-high heat until the meat and onions are cooked through. Drain most of the grease and return to heat.
  • Turn heat to medium-low and add the onion, broth, and spices. Cover and cook for 45 to 50 minutes. Or until your vegetables are done to your liking.
  • Remove a cup of the liquid and incorporate the gravy and milk into the hot soup base. Slowly add back to the pot while stirring.
  • Add the cheese and sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Freezer Meal Directions:

  • Make a note on your label and in your meal journal that you will need: 1 1/2 to 3 cups milk/evap milk and 1/4 cup sour cream.
  • Precook the ground beef and onions. See Make Ahead Ground Beef for a shortcut.
  • Drain most of the grease from the meat/onion combo. Add to 1-gallon bag.
  • Add carrots, celery, broth, potatoes, basil, parsley, and butter. Seal with as much air removed as possible.
  • Use freezer or painter's tape to attach the main soup bag and the cheese bag. See Chicken Pot Pie to see how I do it.
  • Freeze for up to 6 weeks for fresh potatoes, 8 weeks for frozen hashbrowns. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.

Notes

Whichever method and type of milk you use. Here's a tip about milk and hot foods. Add the milk SLOWLY. And stir while you're doing it. If you're using regular milk and it's been in the refrigerator OR if the evaporated milk is cold, the hot soup can (and probably will) curdle it. Using the method described above in steps #3 of the Stovetop and Instant Pot directions almost always keeps this from happening.