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
More Easy Soup Recipes
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One Pot Macaroni Cheeseburger Soup
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!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
For the Croutons:
- 4 sesame seed buns, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Garnish:
- sliced green onion, for garnish
- shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- 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 toss to coat evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Brown ground beef, crumbling with a spatula until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat 6 tablespoons of butter in the same large pot over medium heat (no need to wipe it out or drain the grease).
- Add 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1 cup sliced celery, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 5 cloves minced garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, and the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, and cook for another minute.
- Then add 4 tablespoons 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 rest of the 8 cups of chicken broth and 8 oz. of uncooked macaroni noodles along with another pinch of salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer.
- Once it begins to simmer, turn the heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes or pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove soup from heat. Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and 8 oz. of shredded cheese.
- Then add 1 teaspoon of white balsamic vinegar. Add cooked ground beef back into the pot. Heat the soup over medium heat for a couple minutes, until the beef is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve soup with sesame seed bun croutons and garnish with green onions and shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy!
Notes
- 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.
This looks delicious! However, the print recipe button doesn’t work very well. I try to delete the images, but it still wants to print the whole thing on 5 pages. Help!
I will do some troubleshooting and see if I can figure it out! Sometimes when the recipe plugin is doing updates things get a little wonky.
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out. Thanks for sharing it 😊
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Lucy!
Best soup I’ve made in years! So creamy and filling. What a great fall recipe! The hubby loved it.
Yay! I love to hear that, Brenda! This is one that we make again and again in our own kitchen as well! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Absolutely loved this! Even my picky eaters went nuts for this soup!
Woohoo! I love to hear that, Lauren! It can be so tricky to get those picky eaters to try new things. Glad they went for it and it was a hit!
Hi there. Can you sub milk for the cream? Thanks so much, looks delicious.
Hey Heidi! You can but the consistency will be much thinner. Heavy creamy will give you the best flavor and texture!
This soup is sooo yummy and easy to make. Both my kids liked it. Thank you!
I love it when the kids like it too! This cheeseburger soup is one of my daughter’s favorites as well.
I made this soup tonight, we loved it will be making it again. Didn’t have the vinegar, so just left it out. Make the soup, then turned ot off till closer to dinner time. It was way cooler, Now I but the cream and cheese in. Worked out great. Warmed up, husband loved it. Thanks I’ll be looking for more new recipes.
Great idea adding the cream and cheese just before warming up and serving! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this cheeseburger soup recipe, Jane. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
It seems to be a favorite among the kiddos! So glad that she enjoyed it!
We love this one! We have one with Celiac Disease, so we use Cup4Cup (gf flour) and then use Barilla GF elbows for the pasta. No change to cook time. I generally add extra seasoning because we love well seasoned food in our house. Extra thyme for sure. And def shred your own cheese. We have used regular balsamic vinegar because that’s all we had, and it’s still great!
I am so glad to hear that this recipe worked with those variations! I’ve never tried Cup4Cup so it’s nice to hear that that’s a gluten free option. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Lane. I really appreciate it 🙂
What do you mean by Cup4Cup? I want to make this soup tonight, but my sister is Gluten Free so I am trying to accomodate that!
I’m guessing that Cup4Cup is a brand of gluten free flour.
Made this for dinner tonight. Huge hit. My youngest went back for thirds and asked me for the recipe to send to his friends. Couldn’t find the white balsamic in the stores, but Amazon had it and delivered it today (ordered it last night). We gather with my in-laws every week for a family dinner, take turns cooking for the crowd. Hubby and son said this would be good to make for the family gathering the next time I’m in the rotation.
I love that! This would be perfect for your next family gathering!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Polly. I really appreciate it 🙂
This recipe is great but to incorporate the cream and cheese, I made a quick roux instead and added it in rather than just melting the cheese in to reduce the chance of the soup breaking and having oily bits in. It worked super well!
Love that! The best part of this recipe is that the roux is built right into it without the need for extra steps! The butter from the sauteed veggies combines with the flour and that helps to thicken the soup and make it super creamy. No harm in adding a little more roux though! I bet it was super creamy and delicious. Thanks so much for leaving a review, Jules. I really appreciate it 🙂
This was fun to make, thank you for sharing the recipe<3
I’m so glad you enjoyed this cheeseburger soup recipe, Denali! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This really was tasty and easy. My kids were surprised and said it was “actually better than they thought”.
Isn’t that the best compliment ever?! I love when my daughter is pleasantly surprised that she likes dinner!
Made this today and it did not disappoint. Really good! substituted ditalini rather than elbows and it needed some additional water when adding the pasta. This recipe is a winner ! Thanks for sharing
Instead of adding more water, add beef, chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor.
That is a great idea!
I’m glad to know that this cheesy soup recipe worked with ditalini too! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
I don’t have the white balsamic vinegar, would it make a difference in the taste of the soup?
Do you have another type of vinegar? Perhaps a balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar. If you don’t have any vinegar, you can omit it but the vinegar does really bring out the other flavors!
Wow! Did that ever turn out great.
Wow, indeed! This is one of our family’s favorites!! SO glad you enjoyed it 🙂