Crock pot cheeseburger soup takes everything you’d want from a cheeseburger and turns it into a warm, creamy bowl of soup instead. This version is also a hamburger potato soup at its core, built on a base of ground beef, Yukon Gold potatoes, and frozen mixed vegetables, thickened with milk and cornstarch, and finished with cubes of melted Velveeta. It cooks low and slow in the crockpot, so you can start it in the afternoon and have dinner ready without hovering over the stove all evening.
This recipe started on my grandma’s stove. She called it kitchen sink hamburger soup, and it really was just that: a creamy base she’d stretch with whatever vegetables happened to be sitting in her fridge that week- corn one time, green beans the next, whatever needed using up. I’ve kept her base as the star all these years, but honestly, I’ve leaned toward the same handful of veggies my kids actually ask for, so it’s a little more predictable than hers ever was, but it’s still her soup underneath it all.
Main Ingredients Needed For Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Ground beef: Use lean ground beef, so you’re not draining a pool of grease at the end. If you only have a fattier blend on hand, just drain it well after browning.
- Onion: White or yellow onion works here, diced small so it melts into the base rather than standing out as its own bite.
- Chicken or beef broth: Chicken broth keeps the flavor milder; beef broth makes it heartier. Either way, reach for low-sodium so you can control the salt once the Velveeta goes in.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: These hold their shape well and add a naturally creamy texture. Peel them or don’t, it’s really up to you.
- Frozen mixed vegetables: Peas, carrots, corn, and green beans go in straight from the freezer, no thawing needed.
- Milk: This is what helps thicken the soup into that creamy base. Keep it cold when you mix it with the cornstarch, or you’ll end up with lumps instead of a smooth slurry.
- Cornstarch: Whisked into the cold milk, this thickens the soup without changing the flavor at all.
- Velveeta cheese: I always reach for Velveeta first because it melts smoothly without any grainy texture, no matter how long it sits in the crockpot. If you’d rather use shredded cheddar, it works too; just know the texture will be a touch less silky. This same combination of ground beef and Velveeta is also what makes my hamburger and Velveeta cheese dip such a hit at gatherings.
How To Make Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup
This one really is mostly a dump-and-go recipe, with just a little skillet work up front to build the flavor.
Tip: I almost always go with LOW instead of HIGH on this one. It’s not required; HIGH works fine if you’re short on time, but the extra hours on LOW let all those flavors really meld together instead of just barely getting acquainted.
Ways to Make This Cheeseburger Crock Pot Soup Your Own
This cheeseburger crock pot soup is easy to bend toward whatever you have on hand or whatever your family likes best.
- If you don’t have Velveeta, shredded cheddar, Colby Jack, or even Pepper Jack all work fine. Just know the texture won’t be quite the same. I’ve made this with shredded cheddar plenty of times when I’m out of Velveeta, and honestly, the flavor holds up just fine. It’s just not as silky smooth.
- Short on fresh potatoes? Frozen diced potatoes step in just fine without changing the flavor.
- If you’ve got leftover beef roast instead of ground beef, shred it up and stir it in. It works just as well, and it’s exactly the kind of thing this soup was built for. That same shredded-beef stretch is what makes my shredded beef carnitas such an easy weeknight recipe, too.
- If you want more bulk, toss in chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, or diced tomatoes along with the frozen veggies.
- For a little heat, a shake of red pepper flakes, cayenne, or diced jalapeños goes a long way.
- If you like your soup thicker, add a touch more cornstarch to the milk before stirring it in, and if you want it thinner, a splash more broth loosens it right back up. However you serve it, a scattering of green onions, a dollop of sour cream, or some crumbled bacon on top makes it feel finished.
- For a lighter, broth-based version of this same base some night, my hamburger vegetable soup skips the cheese and potatoes for a brothier bowl.
Make Ahead Tips
- You can get most of the work for this soup done before you actually need it. Cook the ground beef and onion up to 2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container in the fridge, so all you’re doing on the day you cook is transferring everything to the crockpot. It’s the same shortcut I use for my creamy beef stroganoff on busy weeks.
- You can also chop your potatoes the night before and keep them submerged in a bowl of water in the fridge so they don’t brown. Measuring out the basil, parsley, and paprika into a small container ahead of time means you’re not fumbling through the spice cabinet while everything else is already going.
- One thing worth knowing upfront: this soup does not freeze well. Once the Velveeta thaws back out, it turns watery instead of creamy, so this one is best made for the week you’re actually going to eat it, not tucked away in the freezer for later.
My Favorite Slow Cooker Tools
Questions When Making Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger soup leans into the cheeseburger flavor with a creamy, cheese-forward base, usually built around Velveeta or a similar melting cheese. Hamburger soup tends to be broth-based and vegetable-heavy without that same cheesy finish. This recipe sits right at the overlap, a hamburger soup base finished like a cheeseburger soup.
Yes, I make this on the stovetop plenty of nights when I don’t want to wait on the crockpot. Brown the ground beef and onion in a large pot, drain the grease, then stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the broth, potatoes, vegetables, and seasonings, then bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Whisk the milk and cornstarch together, stir it in to thicken, then add the Velveeta and stir until melted.
Yes, browning it first matters here. It drains off the excess grease and builds a better flavor base than dropping raw beef straight into the crockpot would give you.
A slice of crusty bread or cornbread rounds this soup out nicely. A simple side salad also balances the richness of the soup if you want something lighter alongside it.
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- ½ cup onion, white or yellow, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced ( about a teaspoon)
- 6 cups chicken broth, or beef broth for a richer flavor
- 6 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (peeling optional)
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, peas, carrots, corn, green beans
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 piece bay leaf, small
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
Instructions
Cook the Beef
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onions until the beef is browned and onions are soft. Drain excess grease.2 pounds lean ground beef, ½ cup onion
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.1 clove garlic
Assemble the Soup
- Transfer the beef mixture to a crockpot.
- Add potatoes, broth, vegetables, basil, parsley, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir to combine all the ingredients.6 cups chicken broth, 6 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 piece bay leaf
Slow Cook
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until potatoes are tender.
Thicken the Soup
- 30 minutes before cooking is done, whisk milk and cornstarch in a small jar with a lid. Stir it into the soup.1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Cover the crockpot and continue cooking.
Add the Cheese
- 10 minutes before serving, stir in Velveeta cubes until melted.8 ounces Velveeta cheese
Gina’s Notes and Tips
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Hospitality with Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup
My grandma never once made this soup the same way twice. She just used whatever needed eating up that week. That’s the whole spirit behind a Leftover Night Challenge. You open the fridge, see what’s actually in there, and build dinner around it instead of a grocery list. Try it the next time you’ve got half a bag of frozen veggies and some ground beef that needs cooking. This soup will take almost anything you throw at it, just like grandma’s always did, and still turn out rich and cheesy. Set out bread and let people ladle their own bowls, no fuss required. Biblical hospitality was never about having a full pantry; it was about opening the door with whatever you actually had. Sharing what’s left in your fridge, not what you wish was in there, is still a way of caring for someone and making them feel at home. My grandma didn’t have much extra most weeks, but she always had a full pot and room for one more at the table.