Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown the beef and load the slow cooker
- Brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then drain off excess grease and transfer the beef to the slow cooker. You want the beef browned with no large pools of fat left behind.
- Add the russet potatoes, diced onion, minced garlic, beef broth, cheddar cheese soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and mustard powder to the slow cooker. Stir to combine, so the potatoes are mostly submerged.
Cook until the potatoes are very tender
- Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are very tender. If you pierce a cube with a fork, it should break apart easily.
Mash, then melt the cheeses until smooth
- Mash some potatoes directly in the pot to thicken the soup. Mix gently so you keep chunks but create a creamier body.
- Stir in the cubed cream cheese and cook just until melted, keeping the soup heated on Low. The mixture should look glossy and cohesive.
- Add the shredded cheddar and stir until smooth. Continue stirring until no cheese streaks remain and the soup turns thick and creamy.
Serve as a deconstructed cheeseburger
- Serve the soup topped with diced pickles. Add ketchup and mustard drizzles on top to get the full cheeseburger experience.
Notes
For best texture, mash only part of the potatoes so the soup stays thick but still has spoonable chunks. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it thickens too much. Freezing is not recommended because the cheese can separate when thawed and reheated. For a dietary swap, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat shredded cheddar to lower calories while keeping the creamy finish.