The Ultimate Pub Grub Hearty Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup

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Preparation time:20 Mins

Cooking time:40 Mins

Servings:6 generous servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Beef (85/15 recommended)
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 stalks Celery, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 4 cups Beef Broth (low sodium)
• 5 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled & cubed (1/2 inch)
• 1 cup Milk (whole or 2%)
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 cups (packed) Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

Instructions:

• Brown the beef: Heat the stockpot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; cook, breaking it up, until fully browned. Drain off excess fat thoroughly. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove beef and set aside, leaving about 1 Tbsp of fat in the pot.
• Sauté aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion and celery to the pot. Sauté gently until softened and translucent (about 5–7 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Build the Roux: Push the vegetables to one side of the pot. Add the butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Create the Velouté: Slowly whisk in the beef broth, a little at a time, ensuring no lumps form before adding more liquid. Scrape up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pot.
• Simmer the Potatoes: Add the cubed potatoes, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce to the broth mixture. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• Thicken and Enrich: Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the milk.
• Melt the Cheese: Gradually add the grated cheddar, a handful at a time, stirring constantly until fully melted and smooth before adding the next batch. Do not boil the soup after adding cheese.
• Final Assembly: Stir the reserved browned ground beef back into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper) as needed. Heat gently for 1–2 minutes until warmed through, but do not boil.

Nutrition Facts

Calories:999 kcal

Protein:18.9 g

Fat:30.3 g

Carbs:53.4 g

Fiber:16.7 g

Sugar:0.0 g

Sodium:502 mg

Recipe Info

Category:Soup

Cuisine:American

Why This Creamy Ground Beef and Spud Dish Redefines Comfort Food

There are dishes that nourish the body, and then there are dishes that soothe the soul. This Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup firmly falls into the latter category. It’s a culinary masterpiece crafted from simplicity—humble ingredients elevated by rich, savory depth. Imagine the satisfying heartiness of a classic cheeseburger merged seamlessly with the creamy, tender textures of a perfectly baked potato casserole, all presented in a luxurious, soul-warming broth. It’s hearty, it’s decadent, and perhaps best of all, it’s an accessible weeknight wonder. This isn't just soup; it’s a complete, balanced meal tucked into a single, glorious bowl, promising satisfaction with every spoonful.

The Ultimate Weeknight Rescue: Flavor Bomb Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup

When time is tight but the craving for something deeply comforting strikes, reaching for recipes that combine meat and potatoes is always a winning strategy. Our Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup Recipe delivers on flavor intensity without demanding hours of attention. We are transforming basic pantry staples—ground beef, potatoes, and cheese—into something truly spectacular, ensuring that even the most novice cook can achieve restaurant-quality results. This particular style of Cheesy Beef And Potato Soup stands out because of the subtle flavor development we achieve through simple sautéing techniques, creating a depth usually associated with much more complex cooking projects.

From Weekday Blues to Broth Bliss: A Quick Primer

If you're searching for satisfying Ground Beef Soup Recipes Easy to manage after a long day, look no further. This recipe requires only about 20 minutes of active preparation time. Peeling and dicing the potatoes, chopping the aromatics like onion and celery, and browning the beef are the primary steps before you let the simmer take over. After about 40 minutes of dedicated cooking time, you’ll have enough of this rich Hamburger Meat And Potatoes Recipes style soup to serve six hungry people generously. The entire process clocks in at about one hour total, making it perfect for a substantial dinner.

The Magic Marriage: Cheeseburger Meets Creamy Potato Casserole

What elevates this dish above standard beef stew? It’s the marriage of textures and intense flavor layering. We build the savory base by thoroughly browning one pound of 85/15 ground beef, draining the fat meticulously to retain pure meaty essence. This foundation is then enhanced by finely diced onion and celery, sautéed until soft, forming the critical aromatic backdrop. When you combine this browned base with russet potatoes—the perfect starchy choice—and then introduce a sharp cheddar cheese sauce, you achieve that sublime texture where some potato pieces remain distinct while others slightly break down to naturally thicken the broth.

What Makes This Recipe an Unforgettable Meal-in-One

Beyond the obvious comfort factor, this dish excels because it integrates several flavor profiles simultaneously. The inclusion of smoked paprika mimics the char of a grilled patty, while a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce adds a welcome hit of umami. Unlike some lighter broths, this Cheesy Potato And Hamburger Soup uses a classic roux made from butter and flour, ensuring the final texture is luxurious and velvety, capable of holding up the weight of the rich cheese and tender beef. If you've ever searched for Easy Ground Beef Recipes With Potatoes that truly impress, this hearty soup is the definitive answer.

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Assembling Your Powerhouse Components for Richness

Creating a soup this decadent relies on selecting ingredients that contribute maximum flavor and structural integrity. For our Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup , quality matters, especially when it comes to the dairy components and the tubers we select to form the bulk of the dish.

Selecting the Perfect Meats and Dairy for the Cheese Sauce

We recommend using one pound of ground beef, ideally 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio. This slight fat content aids immensely in flavor transfer during the initial browning stage. For the cheese, please heed this crucial advice: grate your own sharp cheddar cheese. Pre-shredded options are often coated with starches that inhibit smooth melting, leading to a grainy or clumpy sauce, something we absolutely want to avoid in this velvety creation. Sharp cheddar provides the necessary tang to balance the richness of the beef and cream. The sauce is further enriched by one cup of whole or two-percent milk, stirred in just before the cheese integration.

Tuber Selection: Choosing Potatoes That Hold Up Beautifully

The star spud here must be the Russet potato. Weighing in at about 1.5 pounds, these should be peeled and cut into uniform half-inch cubes. Russets possess a high starch content. This is intentional! While we simmer them until fork-tender, a few of those starches will naturally leach into the broth, contributing to the body and creaminess of the soup without us needing excessive amounts of heavy cream or thickeners. A waxy potato, like a red or Yukon Gold, tends to hold its shape too rigidly and won't lend the necessary body to the broth.

Prepping Your Aromatics: Foundation Flavors That Matter

No great soup begins without a solid flavor base, and for this Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup Slow Cooker style favorite (even when cooked on the stovetop), that means aromatics. You’ll need one medium yellow onion and two stalks of celery, both diced finely. These cook down slowly in the rendered beef fat (or added oil) to create a sweet, savory background note that supports the beef. Garlic—about three cloves, minced—is added right at the end of the sauté process, just long enough to become fragrant without burning, ensuring its potent flavor shines through.

Step-by-Step Blueprint to Crafting Your Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup

This systematic approach ensures that every layer of flavor is built correctly, leading to a stunning final product. We begin by establishing the protein, move to the thickening agent, incorporate the liquids and starches, and finish with the dairy magic.

Browning the Beef and Building the Savory Base

Begin by heating your large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the pound of ground beef. Cook thoroughly, using a wooden spoon to break it down into fine pieces until no pink remains. Crucially, once browned, drain off all excess fat—we want a clean, intensely meaty flavor, not greasiness. Lightly season the beef with salt and pepper, then remove it from the pot and set it aside. Keep about one tablespoon of rendered fat in the pot; if the beef was extremely lean, add a splash of neutral oil. Reduce the heat to medium and introduce your diced onion and celery. Sauté patiently for about five to seven minutes until they soften beautifully. Follow this with the minced garlic, cooking for just one minute until its aroma blooms.

Simmering Secrets: Achieving Tender Potatoes Without Mush

Now, we introduce the roux, which serves as the primary stabilizer for our sauce. Push the cooked vegetables to one side of the pot. Add three tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once melted, sprinkle in three tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Whisk this mixture continuously for one full minute to cook out the raw, starchy taste of the flour. Slowly, begin whisking in four cups of low-sodium beef broth, pouring gradually to ensure the roux incorporates smoothly without clumping. Once combined, add your cubed Russet potatoes, one teaspoon of smoked paprika (our secret grilled note!), and one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Bring the liquid up to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat, cover partially, and allow it to simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. The goal is perfectly fork-tender potatoes—test them frequently!

Thickening Tactics: Creating That Irresistible Velvety Broth

Once the potatoes yield easily to a fork, remove the pot from the heat source entirely. This step is vital before adding dairy. Stir in the cup of milk. The residual heat will be enough to warm the liquid gently. Now, incorporate the two cups of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, adding it just a handful at a time. Stir continuously until each addition is fully melted and smoothly incorporated before adding the next batch. This low-temperature integration prevents the cheese proteins from seizing up and becoming grainy.

Finalizing the Flavor Profile: When to Add Seasonings

With the cheese melted smoothly and the broth wonderfully thick, it is time to reintroduce the cooked ground beef back into the soup. Stir everything together gently until the meat is warmed through—remember, we want to keep the heat very low; boiling the soup after the cheese has been added risks texture degradation. Taste the soup thoroughly. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Often, the broth and cheese will provide enough salt, but always season to your personal preference before serving this ultimate Cheesy Hamburger Soup .

Customizing Your Bowl: Variations on the Classic Hamburger Potato Soup Theme

While this recipe stands robustly on its own, the best home cooking leaves room for personal flair. Experimentation can turn this into your signature dish.

Healthier Swaps: Lightening Up This Indulgent Creation

If you’re aiming for a slightly lighter take on this famously rich dish, consider substituting the ground beef with ground turkey breast, though you may need to add a tiny bit more butter or oil in step one to compensate for the leaner meat. For the dairy, substituting the whole milk with unsweetened cashew milk works well, retaining much of the creamy mouthfeel without adding the saturated fat. Another way to lighten it is to reduce the cheese by half a cup and substitute that volume with a low-fat Greek yogurt stirred in off the heat at the very end for a similar tang and thickness.

Freezing Fundamentals: Can This Soup Handle the Deep Chill?

This soup freezes reasonably well, but with a caveat concerning the dairy. Because we rely on a roux and real cheese for thickening, repeated freezing and thawing can sometimes cause the texture to become slightly grainy or separated upon reheating. To mitigate this, it’s best to freeze the soup before the cheese is fully integrated. Cook the soup completely through step five (before adding milk or cheese), allow it to cool, then freeze in airtight containers. When reheating, thaw fully, bring to a gentle simmer, then proceed with adding the milk and cheese as directed in the original instructions. This preserves the best texture.

Serving Suggestions: Toppings That Elevate Every Spoonful

The richness of this Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup begs for toppings that offer contrast in both flavor and texture. The absolute classic is a generous dollop of cool sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, topped with finely snipped fresh chives or thinly sliced spring onions. For a real pub-grub feel, try crumbling salty, tangy potato chips (especially salt and vinegar flavor) right on top just before serving for an unexpected crunch. Don't forget the power of good bread; crusty sourdough or even simple buttered dinner rolls are perfect for soaking up every last bit of the savory broth.

Troubleshooting: Fixing Soups That Are Too Thick or Too Thin

If your soup, after incorporating the cheese, has become unexpectedly thick—more like a stew than a soup—simply whisk in warm beef broth or milk, a quarter cup at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Remember to keep the heat very low while adding liquid to the cheesy base. Conversely, if your soup is too thin after simmering the potatoes, the solution lies in a quick slurry: whisk one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water until smooth, then slowly whisk this mixture into the simmering soup. Let it cook for two to three minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens to your liking. This is often the simplest fix for Cheesy Potato And Hamburger Soup that didn't quite set.