Looking for a dinner idea that’s a little different but still delicious? Bacon Cheeseburger Soup is made in 30 minutes, and will be devoured with enthusiasm by kids and adults!
For more kid-friendly soups, our readers love this Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe! Serve it up with some dinner rolls and you’ve got an easy meal.
Why this Recipe Works
Dinnertime can be hard. And crazy. And chaotic. I love cooking. I mean, I run a food blog. But even so, I’m almost embarrassed by the number of times I think, “Wait? The people in my house need to eat AGAIN?”
That’s why I can never have enough fast and easy dinner recipes that everyone in the family will eat without complaint. This Bacon Cheeseburger Soup is always a hit!
Soup is a great option for our busy family because heating it up for the “late arrivals” is a cinch! With everyone’s schedules rarely lining up so we can eat a meal all at the same time during the week, reheatable dinners are a necessity.
I’ve seen Cheeseburger soup all over pinterest…but of all the recipes I see they have potatoes in them.
I’m sorry guys, but I don’t put potatoes on my burger. If you want “fries” whip up a batch of these baked french fries or sweet potato fries.
Ingredient Notes
I keep things simple here and stick strictly to the “burger theme.” If I wanted a Baked Potato Soup, I’d make that instead. This recipe is all about that meaty bacon cheeseburger taste.
- Ground Beef– swap it out for ground turkey if you prefer!
- Bacon– cook and crumble and add it at the end if you want to keep it crunchy!
- Burger Toppings– you’ll also need dill pickles, mustard, and tomatoes for this soup. Don’t worry if you don’t like those…they just add a delicious depth of flavor!
- Beef Broth– use bone broth for a more intense flavor.
- Shredded Cheese– can’t be a cheeseburger without it!
- Hamburger Buns– I used sesame seed buns, cubed them, and toasted into soup croutons!
Step by Step Instructions
Brown the bacon. Fry the bacon in a soup pot until crispy. It only takes a couple of minutes if your bacon is cut into bite sized pieces.
Remove the bacon and grease from the pot and place it on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Cook the beef. Add your ground beef to the pot, cooking until it is no longer red. Drain meat and give the pot a quick rinse to remove excess grease. (You’ll thank me.)
Simmer. Over medium-low heat, add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Add the tomatoes, mustard, along with beef broth, milk, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Hamburger Bun Croutons. While the cheeseburger soup simmers, Tear your burger buns into large chunks. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes until toasted and crunchy.
Finally, Add your cream and cheese to your soup and stir everything together until warm. Ladle into bowls, and top with the toasted buns. Add a little more cooked bacon on top of each bowl before serving, if you like.
This TRULY tastes like you are eating a bacon cheeseburger!
Variations
There are dozens of ways you can customize this based on your preferences–just like a cheeseburger!
- For a spicier soup, swap out the tomatoes for a can of Rotel. A little extra red pepper goes a long way too!
- Ground turkey works well as a substitute for the beef, as does ground pork.
- For a vegetarian version, swap the bacon for a meatless bacon substitute and use plant based ground beef crumbles or cooked lentils in place of the beef.
- Try shredded pepperjack cheese or another favorite sharp cheese in this soup instead of the colby-jack blend.
- Swap the hamburger buns for brioche, kaiser or another favorite roll.
Recipe FAQs
Like most soups, this cheeseburger soup tastes even better the next day. Store in an airtight container (without the burger buns). It reheats well both on the stovetop and the microwave. When ready to serve, add the toasted hamburger buns and top with crispy bacon bits.
Yes! Brown the bacon and beef separately in a skillet on the stove. Add all the ingredients (except cheese and heave cream) to the crockpot. Cook on low for 4 – 6 hours. About 20 minutes before serving stir in the cream and cheese and let continue cooking until everything is warmed through.
To keep this soup quick and easy, add cooked potatoes to the soup.
More Soup Recipes
- Love pot pie? This Beef Pot Pie Soup is a take off your favorite comfort food, complete with the pie crust topping!
- Ditch the cans and make your own Roasted Tomato Soup from scratch. I’ve got all the tips on how to use fresh tomatoes in your soup!
- Comfort food. That’s exactly what this One Pot Chili Mac is all about! Delicious, easy, and perfect for busy weeknights!
- Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup– our favorite copycat recipe made in under 30 minutes.
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe– all the flavor of a classic chicken pot pie, in soup form!
Easy Family Dinner Recipes
See all Main Dish recipes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 6 slices 1/2 pound bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can iced tomatoes 14.5 ounce d
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 4 dill pickle spears diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 ½ cup beef broth
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
- 4 hamburger buns cut into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large soup pot over medium high heat, saute bacon pieces until browned (I like it crispy, it takes about 4-5 minutes). Remove bacon and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain grease out of pot.
- To the pot, add the ground beef and cook until browned. Drain and return beef and bacon to pot. (make sure all the grease is out of the pot).
- Add tomatoes (with juice from can), mustard, pickles, beef broth, milk, red pepper, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While this is simmering, place hamburger bun pieces on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.
- To the soup, add heavy cream and cheese. Heat for about 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Serve in soup bowls with hamburger bun croutons!
Notes
- For a spicier soup, swap out the tomatoes for a can of Rotel. A little extra red pepper goes a long way too!
- Ground turkey works well as a substitute for the beef, as does ground pork.
- For a vegetarian version, swap the bacon for a meatless bacon substitute and use plant based ground beef crumbles or cooked lentils in place of the beef.
- Try shredded pepperjack cheese or another favorite sharp cheese in this soup instead of the colby-jack blend.
- Swap the hamburger buns for brioche, kaiser or another favorite roll.
Nutrition
When it comes to kid-friendly quick and easy dinners, it doesn’t get more satisfying than this Bacon Cheeseburger Soup!
As chef and proprietor of a top Italian restaurant in Europe (La Crema)… I can certify this is an authentic and amazing recipe. On our menu, I definitely amp up the cream in step 5, thicken with cornstarch, and add bacon. We have an optional truffle oil supplement for a splurge or very special occasion.
Splendid!
I like your recipe although We have made the one with potatoes and it oh heavly good that way acts as your starch. Thanks for the recipe
Oh, hello, new favorite soup! I’m so glad to find a cheeseburger soup recipe without the bulk of it seeming to be potato so thank you!
I unfortunately bought turkey bacon instead of regular bacon so it’s just kind of extra meat floating around, but even with that it’s so good! I left out the pickles (I just don’t like them enough to warrant buying a whole jar) and subbed 1 can of tomatoes for a bag of frozen chopped broccoli plus a bit of water because I wanted to make it a little more nutritious, and broccoli + cheese = yum. (Would be a really weird burger though.) I had a block of cheddar so I melted cubes of it in the cream separately and then added it to soup. I’m so happy with the way it turned out despite wishing I could taste the bacon, so thank you for helping me satisfy my weird rich soup craving in the middle of the summer. 🙂
Love all your tips! And yes, no potatoes in this soup, thank you. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This recipe is the BOMB! Tastes exactly like a Smashburger or Five Brothers cheeseburger. Not kidding. The whole family LOVED it. Great football day party soup.
haha, so glad you loved it!!! It’s so easy to make!
I made this soup about a week ago and it was SO yummy! My hubby loved it. I passed the recipe on to my mother who made it for my dad and brother and they loved it as well. I think my favorite is the pickles in the soup. I’m pregnant and I have to say pickles in anything is delicious so this was a craving filler for me! I’m making it again tonight and have shared your link on my facebook as well!