You crunch through the snow…
You crunch through the snow with your boots, face numb from cold, and your only thought is: I need something hot, cheesy, and meaty in my life. Enter this Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup—the culinary equivalent of diving headfirst into a giant, gooey cheeseburger, but in spoon able form. There’s bacon. There’s ground beef. There’s melting cheese. There’s potato for body and heft. It’s everything you crave when frost is biting at your cheeks and you need dinner to solve world problems (or at least dinner problems).
This soup is stupidly easy: dump the ingredients, let the slow cooker do its thing, then stir in cheese at the end and watch it melt into dreamy, savoury bliss. No standing over a hot stove. No watching a pot boil. Just set it, forget it, shovel it in.
Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
Recipe Card
| Recipe Name | Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup |
|---|---|
| Summary | A rich, creamy soup loaded with ground beef, bacon, potatoes, and melty cheese—tastes like your favorite cheeseburger in every comforting spoonful. |
| Servings | 6–8 |
| Prep Time | 15 min |
| Cook Time | 5 hr on LOW (or 3 hr on HIGH) |
| Additional Time | 10 min (cheese stir-in) |
| Total Time | ~5 hr 25 min |
| Course | Main / Soup |
| Cuisine | American / Comfort |
| Method | Slow Cooker |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Keywords | cheeseburger soup, slow cooker soup, bacon cheese soup, comfort food |
| Equipment | Slow cooker (5–6 qt), skillet, wooden spoon, ladle |
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups diced potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold)
- 1 carrot, diced (optional, sneak in veg)
- 4 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (plus extra for garnish)
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (for garnish)
Instructions
Instructions
- Crisp the bacon & brown the beef
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp and fat renders out (~8 min). Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, leaving about 2 Tbsp fat in the pan.
Add ground beef to the bacon fat. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown, breaking into chunks until no pink remains (~5 min). Transfer beef and bacon to the slow cooker.
- Sauté aromatics
In the same skillet, lower heat to medium. Add onion and carrot (if using). Sauté until softened and lightly golden (~4 min). Add garlic and cook 30 sec more until fragrant. Scrape any fond from the pan and pour everything into the slow cooker.
- Build the soup base
To the slow cooker, add diced potatoes, broth, smoked paprika, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Stir until tomato paste is fully dissolved and the broth is homogenous.
- Let it slow cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours (or HIGH for 3 hours). The potatoes should be fork-tender, and all flavors melded into a thick, rich broth.
- Finish with cream & cheese
Switch to WARM or turn off the slow cooker. Stir in heavy cream. Gradually add shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding more. This ensures a silky, lump-free texture.
- Adjust & serve
Taste and adjust seasoning—add more salt or pepper if needed. Ladle soup into bowls, top with extra cheese, crispy bacon bits, and chopped chives. Crank up the charm and dig in immediately.
Kitchen Notes:
- Bacon magic: Don’t skip it. That smoky fat is the backbone of this soup’s flavor—worth every crispy bite.
- Beef choice: 85/15 ground beef hits the sweet spot of fat for flavor without drowning the soup in grease.
- Potato starch & thickness: The potatoes naturally thicken the broth. If you want it thicker, mash a few potato chunks against the side of the cooker and stir; for thinner, add a splash of broth or cream.
- Cheese timing: Add cheese off-heat or on WARM. Direct high heat will make it grainy—no one wants gritty cheese soup.
- Make-ahead: Soup tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate overnight, then reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or cream to revive the texture.
- Veggie sneak: Carrot and celery sneak in nutrients and colour. Feel free to toss in a handful of corn kernels or diced bell pepper for extra crunch and sweetness.
- Spice variations: Smoked paprika is dreamy; swap in chili powder or a pinch of cayenne for heat—think Nashville hot soup.
- Slow cooker vs stovetop: No slow cooker? Follow steps 1–3 in a Dutch oven, then simmer on the stove, covered, for 45–60 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- Leftover creativity: Use leftover soup as a sauce for baked potatoes or pour it over rice for a saucy casserole vibe.
This Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup isn’t just dinner….it’s a one-pot party in your mouth, complete with beefy depth, bacon crackle, velvety cheese, and potato heft. It’s the cure for cold-weather misery, kitchen fatigue, and taco night burnout.
So, while your floors are shaking from DIY power tools or you’re still elbow-deep in grout dust, let this soup simmer away, rescue your dinner, and fill your bowl with the ultimate comfort hug. No mess, no stress—just pure, unashamed cheeseburger bliss.
