Bacon Cheeseburger Soup - #29daysseducedbybruce - Day 11 of 29

Nothing beats a blustery winter day like a piping hot bowl of soup.  This soup was good, a bit starchy for me, but it was tasty in a pinch.  It's kind of like a trashcan soup, where you take a bunch of stuff you have laying around your fridge, dump it in the crock pot, heat it all up, and call it a day.  Easy breezy. The only thing that may have made this better was maybe putting it in a bread bowl?  I don't know.  I just feel a little empty when I haven't chewed something with a meal.  Like, I could never just exist on a smoothie.  I need to masticate.  

Let me know your thoughts if you try it.  

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained of fat
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth
4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, optional
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
bacon, crumbled optional

Notes / Directions

Place ground beef, tomatoes, potatoes, carrot, bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic in your slow cooker and pour chicken stock over the top.

Season with chili powder, salt and pepper, then stir everything together. Cover slow cooker, turn on HIGH and cook for 3-4 hours, or until vegetables are softened.

Stir flour into heavy cream until no chunks remain, then pour mixture, along with cheddar cheese, into slow cooker.

Stir to combine, then cover and cook for another 20-30 minutes, then ladle into soup bowls, top with cheese and crumbled bacon, if using, and serve hot!