Classic Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta cheese is delicious, easy, and perfect for a hearty supper. Prep for this stovetop meal goes quickly with our tips, and it's easy to prepare a batch for the freezer with our freezer instructions.
Soup is such a wonderful comfort food! If you like this cheeseburger soup with potatoes, you may also want to try my Hash Brown Potato Soup or Cheesy Crockpot Potato Kielbasa Soup, or my absolute favorite—copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi soup. For another quick meal with ground beef, try my 30 Minute Taco Macaroni.
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What You Need to Make Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta
- Ground beef. Save time and money by keeping bulk-cooked ground beef in the freezer to speed up preparations for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals. When you find ground beef on sale, buy several pounds and cook it all at once. Dinnertime prep goes so much faster starting with cooked ground beef. You will find the best savings by using 75-80% ground beef instead of lean ground beef even after compensating for the loss of volume (true cost per pound = price per pound/percent lean). You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison if desired.
- Onion.
- Carrots. Save time by starting with pre-shredded carrots.
- Celery.
- Vegetable oil.
- Chicken broth or stock. You can use canned or boxed chicken broth, or you can plan this meal the same week you serve roast chicken or have a rotisserie chicken. Cover the carcass and skin with water in a slow cooker and simmer for several ours for a rich stock to use in soup. Strain, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Potatoes. To save time, try using Yukon Gold potatoes without peeling. The skin of these potatoes is thin and light in color and I use them without peeling in a variety of recipes. For even more time savings, use frozen diced hash browns instead of fresh potatoes.
- Flour.
- Velveeta cheese. You can substitute shredded cheddar cheese if needed, but Velveeta gives this soup its creamy base.
- Milk.
- Dried basil.
- Sour cream.
- Salt and pepper.
- Not pictured: Fresh basil, parsley, or green onions for garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta
Brown the ground beef in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease and set aside. Sauté onion, carrots, celery and basil in oil in the same pan over medium heat until tender.
Add flour and mix well, then add broth, potatoes and beef. Stir until mixed and flour dissolves. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until cheese melts. Turn off heat and add sour cream. Stir until blended.
Serve immediately; garnish with sliced fresh basil, parsley, or green onions if desired.
Time-Saving Tips For Making Cheeseburger Soup
- Keep bulk-cooked ground beef in the freezer to speed up preparations for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals. When you find ground beef on sale, buy several pounds and cook it all at once. Store in the freezer in portions equal to the number of pounds you purchased. Cooked beef takes up less space and buying on sale saves money, so it's a win-win.
- You can save both prep and cook time by using frozen hash browns instead of fresh potatoes in Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta. Thaw them slightly by setting the hash browns out on the counter while you are prepping the other vegetables, then add them straight to the soup when called for.
Cheeseburger Soup Variations
Change up the flavor or texture of Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta:
- Spicy. Add a can of drained diced green chilis, or top with crispy jalapeños (my all-time favorite add-on) or Pepper Jack cheese.
- Smooth. Hold out adding the ground beef until the end and use an immersion blender to blend all the vegetables together after the potatoes are tender. Add the ground beef after blending the vegetables and melting the cheese. When it is heated through, proceed with adding the sour cream.
- Crunchy. Top each bowl with crispy fried onions or croutons.
Storage & Preparing for the Freezer
Cheeseburger Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When reheating, add additional broth, milk, or water if the soup is too thick.
You can freeze this cheeseburger soup recipe by partially preparing it. To prepare for the freezer, use frozen hash browns instead of raw potatoes. Prepare up to the point of (and including) adding the flour. Combine the cooked ground beef, sautéed vegetables, and flour with the hash browns in a freezer-safe container and label as follows:
Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta Date____________________
Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Add to a large soup pot with 3 cups of chicken broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until well mixed and broth begins to thicken. Add 8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese, 1-½ cups milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat, stirring gently, until cheese melts and soup is hot. Remove from heat and add ¼ cup sour cream. Stir until well mixed and serve immediately.
FAQs
Can I freeze Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta?
You can freeze the soup, but it is best to prepare the soup specifically for freezing according to our instructions above. Freezing the partially prepared soup and adding the liquids after thawing will give the best results.
Is Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta gluten-free?
You can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix in place of the all-purpose flour. If you use authentic Velveeta cheese, Kraft's labeling policy combined with the list of ingredients in Velveeta indicates that it is gluten-free. Other brands of processed cheese may not be gluten-free. Always verify the ingredients on the actual product.
How do I store the leftovers?
Cheeseburger Soup can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When reheating, add additional broth, milk, or water if soup is too thick.
Recipe
Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- ¾ cup celery
- 3 tablespoons butter or oil
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups potatoes
- ¼ cup flour
- 8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil, parsley, or green onions if desired, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown 1 pound ground beef in a large soup pot. Drain, rinse with hot water, and set aside.
- Chop 1 onion. Dice ¾ cup celery. Dice 4 cups potatoes.
- Sauté onion, ¾ cup shredded carrots, celery, and 1 teaspoon dried basil in the same pan in 3 tablespoons butter or oil until tender.
- Add ¼ cup flour and mix well, then add 3 cups chicken broth, potatoes, and beef. Stir until mixed and flour dissolves.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add 8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese, 1½ cups milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring regularly, until cheese melts.
- Turn off heat and add ¼ cup sour cream. Stir until blended.
- Serve. Garnish with fresh basil, parsley, or green onions if desired.
Notes
- Keep bulk-cooked ground beef in the freezer to speed up preparations for soups, casseroles, and skillet meals. When you find ground beef on sale, buy several pounds and cook it all at once. Store in the freezer in portions equal to the number of pounds you purchased. Cooked beef takes up less space and buying on sale saves money, so it's a win-win.
- You can save both prep and cook time by using frozen hash browns instead of fresh potatoes in Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta. Thaw them slightly by setting the hash browns out on the counter while you are prepping the other vegetables, then add them straight to the soup when called for.
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