Description

A rich, savory, and comforting one-pot soup that captures the flavors of a cheeseburger. Made with ground beef, crispy bacon, russet potatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese, this dish is ready in under an hour and perfect for cozy weeknights.

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz thick-cut bacon
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into half-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1/2 cup dill pickle chips, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot. Crumble the bacon for garnish.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef to the pot with the bacon fat. Break it up and brown for 5-7 minutes until no longer pink, scraping up any browned bits (fond).
Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Sprinkle flour over the beef and onion mixture. Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and form a roux.
Pour in chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to release flavorful bits. Add diced potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and heat through for 2-3 minutes without boiling. Gradually stir in shredded cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, until fully melted and smooth.
Stir in chopped dill pickles. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed (bacon and cheese are already salty).
Ladle into bowls and top with reserved crispy bacon. Serve immediately.

Notes

[‘Shred your own cheese to prevent graininess caused by anti-caking agents in pre-shredded cheese.’, ‘Do not boil the soup after adding cream to prevent curdling.’, ‘This soup does not freeze well due to the dairy; freeze the base without cream/cheese if needed.’, ‘If the soup is too salty, add a diced potato to simmer and absorb excess salt.’, “Dill pickles provide the acidic ‘burger’ flavor; do not skip them for the authentic taste.”]

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Calories: 650
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 900
Fat: 38
Saturated Fat: 18
Carbohydrates: 45
Fiber: 4
Protein: 35

Keywords: cheeseburger soup, potato soup, bacon soup, comfort food, one pot meal, creamy soup, ground beef recipe, russet potato soup