One-Pot Macaroni Cheeseburger Soup – NO VELVEETA!

This cheeseburger soup recipe takes just 30 minutes to throw together and everything cooks in one pot! It’s an easy, cheesy comfort food that your whole family will love – and it’s made without VELVEETA! Just real, whole ingredients that you can feel good about feeding your family!

 

The Best One-Pot Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

• This macaroni soup recipe combines all of the flavors you love of cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese. It’s got all the same ingredients as your favorite burger, minus the ketchup and mustard, and add perfectly al dente macaroni noodles that boil right along with the other ingredients! It might sound like an odd combination, but I promise you the creamy, cheesy base combined with al dente elbow noodles, and seasoned ground beef is a *chef’s kiss* bowl of delicious!
• One of the best parts about this soup is that it’s made with all real ingredients! No processed Velveeta cheese here! The creaminess comes from a simple roux made by coating the veggies in flour, and then adding broth, heavy cream, and sharp cheddar.

Ingredients for Cheeseburger Soup

Ground Beef

I like to use 80/20 organic grass-fed ground beef for this recipe. Feel free to use plant-based meat or black beans in place of the beef if you want to keep it vegetarian. Or use ground turkey for a bit of extra protein. Feel free to add some crispy crumbled bacon and transform this into a bacon cheeseburger soup recipe as well!

Onion, Carrot, Celery

This combination is also referred to as mirepoix. These aromatic vegetables form the base for many soups and stews. Check your grocery store for a pre-chopped mirepoix mix to save prep time!

Garlic

Freshly minced garlic is going to add a delicious depth of flavor to this soup. Feel free to sub with half a teaspoon or so of garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic.

Dried Herbs

Dried oregano and dried thyme are my herbs of choice. You could also use Italian seasoning as a substitute.

Flour

All-purpose flour works best in this recipe. It’s going to give your soup the perfect creamy texture without having to add a cornstarch slurry.

Chicken Broth

Feel free to use veggie broth or beef broth in place of the chicken broth if you’d like.

Elbow Macaroni

You can use your favorite short cut of pasta for this soup. I love the classic shape of elbow macaroni noodles but feel free to use whatever your family likes! If you’re looking to use different carbohydrates in place of the pasta, try diced Russet or Yukon gold potatoes (simmer just until fork tender). You could even try cauliflower for a low-carb option if you’d like! 

Heavy Cream

Heavy cream is what gives this soup its rich, silky texture and hearty flavor. You could sub half and half in its place but the consistency of the soup will be a bit thinner.

Sharp Cheddar

This gives the soup a delicious cheesy flavor and creamy texture. Sharp cheddar on its own has quite a strong flavor, but when it is combined with all the ingredients in this soup it mellows and tastes delicious! Feel free to sub with mild cheddar if you prefer.

How to Make Cheeseburger Soup in One Pot

Hamburger Bun Croutons

• A fun way to complete the cheeseburger theme in this soup is to make crispy, crunchy croutons out of sesame-seed hamburger buns. You can use my super simple homemade crouton recipe as a guide.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place sesame seed bun cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and whatever seasonings you’d like – I love dried oregano and garlic powder – and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.

Cheeseburger Soup

While the sesame bun croutons are baking, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground beef, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Brown the beef, crumbling with a spatula until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat butter in the same large pot over medium heat (no need to wipe out or drain the grease). Saute onion, carrots, and celery, along with a large pinch of salt and pepper in the same pot over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, add garlic, oregano, and thyme, and cook for another minute.

Then add flour and stir to coat veggies. Cook for one more minute, stirring frequently.

Add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom.

Stir in the remaining chicken broth and macaroni noodles along with another pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 5-7 minutes or pasta is al dente. Stir in heavy cream and shredded cheese.

Then add the white balsamic vinegar and cooked ground beef back into the pot.

Heat the soup over medium heat for a couple of minutes, until the beef is heated through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve soup with sesame seed bun croutons and garnish with green onions and shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Cheeseburger Soup

• Shred your own cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts better and will give you a smoother texture. It’s worth the extra few minutes of prep! Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose which helps prevent them from clumping but also means they won’t melt as well.
• This cheeseburger chowder will thicken as it cools. Feel free to add an extra splash or two of broth of cream to loosen it up.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is cheese soup made of?

This cheesy soup is made with a variety of veggies, macaroni noodles, and ground beef along with sharp cheddar, heavy cream, and chicken broth. It’s an easy, cheesy soup that your whole family will love!

How do you add cheddar to soup?

The best way to add shredded cheddar to soup is towards the end of the cooking time and along with heavy cream. You’ll want to make sure that the soup isn’t too hot when you add the cheese or it will turn grainy in texture instead of melting into the soup. The heavy cream helps to bring the temp of the soup down a bit and allow the cheese to melt nicely into the broth.

What is cheeseburger soup made of?

It is made with ground beef, mirepoix, dried herbs, flour, broth, elbow macaroni, heavy cream, and sharp cheddar cheese. You won’t see any Velveeta on this ingredient list! And the best part is that it all cooks together in one pot!

Make Cheeseburger Soup Ahead of Time

Because the noodles are cooked right in the pot, this soup is going to thicken considerably when made ahead of time and the noodles will continue to soak up moisture as it sits. If you want to make this soup ahead, I recommend cooking the noodles separately and then combining the soup with the noodles just before serving so that the consistency stays smooth and creamy and the noodles aren’t mushy. If you’ll be enjoying this soup right away, however, this won’t be a problem!

Storing Leftover Cheeseburger Soup

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. As mentioned above, the noodles will continue to soak up moisture as they sit, however, the soup will still be delicious after a day or two in the fridge!

Reheating Cheeseburger Soup

Reheat soup in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until warmed through. You will likely need to add a splash of broth or cream to loosen the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving!

Things You Can Add to Cheeseburger Soup

Feel free to add more of your favorite flavors to this cheeseburger chowder! Some of our suggestions include:

• shredded pepper jack cheese
• crispy bacon
• fresh chopped parsley
• sour cream
• dill pickles
• diced tomatoes

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