Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 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.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of soup
- Calories: 465
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 1175.7 mg
- Fat: 26.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 25.7 g
- Cholesterol: 106.8 mg
