It’s cold outside. Like, frigid. I should be used to Midwest Januaries by now. After all, every January of my life has been spent here. That doesn’t make the 5 degree temperatures any less surprising. It seems like a lot of places are even colder. I mean, Canada was colder than Mars just recently, and a major winter storm has been dumping snow everywhere.
That’s why it’s perfect to have a really hearty cold-weather recipe in your stash. This cheeseburger soup fits the bill.
You’ll want to start by browning about a pound of hamburger, then draining it and setting it aside. With soups, I’ve found that they’re great for eyeballing ingredients– if you have approximately what you’re looking for, then you’re able to produce a delicious soup without as much effort. Soups are just so forgiving. It’s also nice when you want to add or subtract ingredients, just in case you’re snowed in.
While cooking your ground beef, start dicing an onion. You’ll want it in small dices, nice and fine.
In a nice soup pot, you’ll want to melt 2 tablespoons or so of butter. Add in your diced onions and about 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots. Cook, stirring every once in awhile, for 10 minutes, or until the carrots and onions are tender.
While you cook the carrots and onions, peel and chop up 8 cups of potatoes into bite-size pieces. That’s about 6 medium potatoes, if you’re counting.
Add a carton of chicken broth to the onion/carrot mixture, then fill the carton halfway with water, and add that, as well. Toss in your potatoes and your ground beef. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
Melt the rest of your stick of butter (6 tablespoons, if you’re not using a stick or using margarine instead) in your now-empty ground beef skillet, keeping the heat medium. Add in 1/2 cup flour slowly, whisking the entire time, for 3-5 minutes. Stir this into the soup, bringing it back to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, and add in some salt and pepper, 2 cans of evaporated milk, and 16 ounces (half of the large block) of Velveeta (dicing it first helps it melt faster!)
Stir while cooking until the Velveeta is melted, then serve. Rolls are a great addition to this, as well as toasted bread rounds, as pictured. The toasted bread rounds add a nice crunch to the soup.
This soup is a total crowd-pleaser, and it really is not hard to make. It is a perfect soup for staying in with the family before curling up cozy under blankets.
- 1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
- 1 onion, diced finely
- 2 Tbsp butter + 6 Tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 Cups carrots
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 8 cups (approximately 6 medium) potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 Carton chicken broth
- 1/2 Cup flour
- 2 cans evaporated milk
- 16 oz (half block) Velveeta, diced
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add in diced onions, the herbs, and shredded carrots, stirring until tender.
- Dice potatoes while onions and carrots cook.
- Add one carton chicken broth to soup pot, then fill carton halfway with water and add that in, also. Put potatoes and ground beef into the soup pot.
- Bring soup to boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Melt 6 Tablespoons butter in a skillet on medium heat, and add flour slowly, whisking for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir flour mixture into soup, then bring the soup back to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low, then add in salt and pepper, evaporated milk, and Velveeta.
- Stir until Velveeta is melted, then serve hot.
- Tip: Rolls or toasted bread rounds make a delicious addition to this soup. Or, top with croutons!
Hearty soups are some of my favorites– check out this Chicken and Gnocchi soup or Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup for more inspiration, or enjoy this Crock Pot S’mores Lava Cake as the perfect dessert compliment for this soup!
In the mood for more soup? Follow my Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches board! Stay warm!
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Yum! With all these cold temps we need to make this.
I like soups and love it that you are giving us some really good ones.
What size can of milk and chicken broth?
You’ll need two 12-ounce cans of evaporated milk and a 32 ounce carton of chicken broth or similarly-sized substitute (like water and bouillon, or cans that come close to the same amount of liquid). Hope that helps!
How many does this recipe serve? I might have just missed it somewhere.
We feed 5 and usually have enough leftover for 2 or 3 of us to have lunch the next day… but a lot depends on the portion size your family eats. I would say it’s 8-10 servings.
How long do you let this simmer before adding the flour/butter mixture? I’m thinking of when are the potatoes going to get cooked through.
I just continue checking the potatoes until they feel close to done– when they’re feeling tender, it’s time!
Hello! Does this soup freeze well? I am wondering if the condensed milk will cause a problem?
Thanks
I haven’t tried freezing this one, so I cannot vouch for it. From what I’ve heard, though, the milk should freeze just fine, so it might be worth a try if you have an excess!