Every time I make Cheeseburger Soup, it’s a different recipe.
And it’s never a written recipe that I follow. It’s another stormy day here in Maine, so I thought I would throw this cheeseburger soup together with the ingredients I had on hand. It’s my best one yet.
Cheeseburgers are the ultimate comfort food.
Cheeseburgers combine everything a hungry belly craves. Juicy beef, melty cheese, and flavorful condiments, of course, make a great soup recipe.
I had leftover homemade Mac and Cheese.
My children love my macaroni and cheese dish. They always ask for it during holiday gatherings or even when they come over for a visit. I had planned to make a pan of it for Christmas, but we ended up having Chinese take-out that evening. However, I still had all the necessary ingredients on hand, so I decided to make it this past week. I was planning on giving most of it to my daughter who lives close by, but I forgot that she had been cutting down on her carbohydrate intake. As a result, she reluctantly refused the dish, and I ended up having a lot of leftovers.
Instead of throwing the dish away, I decided to make this Cheeseburger Soup.
I’ve always enjoyed making soups, and cheeseburger soup is no exception. The creamy cheese blends perfectly with the seasoned burger and a hint of pickle flavor, resulting in a hearty and delicious meal.
Blend the ingredients for the soup.
I had determined that I required around a pound of ground beef to complement the quantity of leftover macaroni and cheese I had. As I was browning the beef, I combined the cheesy pasta with two cans of evaporated milk in a large saucepan. However, I soon realized that there wasn’t enough liquid, so I added another can of evaporated milk and a cup of beef broth to the mixture.
Adding flavor to your ground beef.
When you’re browning beef, remember to add seasoned salt, pepper, and onion powder. As it nears the end of cooking, you can add your preferred type of pickles. I prefer dill pickle relish since it’s the perfect size, but you can use sweet relish or chopped pickles if you prefer a larger size. However, if you don’t care for pickles, you can skip this step altogether.
Add ground beef mixture to the pot.
Using a slotted spoon, add the beef to your simmering cheese and pasta mixture. Leave the leftover juices in the pan to sautee the chopped onions.
Add other vegetables for color or flavor.
You can saute any type of vegetable along with your onions to add both color and flavor to your dish. For instance, I added a small sweet yellow pepper to enhance the dish’s visual appeal. Certain recipes may ask for ingredients such as shredded carrots, diced celery, or chopped mushrooms. Ultimately, it all boils down to personal preference.
Add onions to the cheeseburger soup mixture and simmer until heated through.
If there is a lot of grease left in the pan, soak it up with a paper towel. However, a small amount of grease enhances the flavor of the soup. Cheeseburgers are supposed to have that juicy flavor.
Add condiments and more cheese as needed.
This particular day this soup needed a bit more cheese flavor. There was already a lot of sharp cheddar in the macaroni and cheese, so I added four ounces of Velveeta, which gave it flavor and extra creaminess. This is when I also add 2 tablespoons of ketchup and 2 teaspoons of ground mustard for the tangy condiment flavor.
Cheeseburger Soup tastes better the next day.
As with most soups, it’s best to let the dish sit in the refrigerator overnight as it helps marry the flavors together. While not required, it does make a significant difference.
Ingredients needed for this Cheeseburger Soup Recipe:
- Pasta combined with your favorite cheeses, or leftover Macaroni and Cheese Dish.
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 3 cans of evaporated milk
- 1 cup of preferred beef broth
- 1 small onion
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- Extra cheese, (Velveeta, or preferred easy melting cheese)
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder, ground mustard.
Delicious and Easy makes for a great combination.
There’s nothing better than a recipe that is both delicious and easy. Read my recipe for Seafood Stew, which is both of these as well!