Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients:
- hamburger buns, cubed - 3
- bacon - 4 slices
- olive oil - 1 T
- ground beef - 8 ounces
- butter - 1/4 cup
- garlic, minced - 2 cloves
- onion, diced - 1
- celery, diced - 2 stalks
- carrots, grated - 2
- Worcestershire sauce - 1 tsp
- flour - 3 T
- chicken broth - 2 1/2 cups
- milk - 2 cups, more if needed
- russet potatoes, peeled, cubed - 2
- shredded Cheddar cheese - 1 1/2 cups
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper - to desired taste
- chopped chives - 2 T
Instructions:
Spread bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes until crisp and golden; set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crisp, place on a paper towel to drain; set aside. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, crumble beef while it cooks, drain; set aside.
In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrots and Worcestershire. Stir frequently until onions become translucent. Whisk in flour until lightly browned. Gradually whisk in broth and milk, whisk constantly, until slightly thickened; stir in potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until potatoes are tender, 12 - 15 minutes. Stir in meat, cheese, salt and pepper. If soup is too thick, add more milk until desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately, garnish with croutons, bacon and chives.
