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Cheeseburger Macaroni Soup

Cheeseburger macaroni soup with a thick cheddar broth, tender elbow pasta, and browned ground beef. Loaded with shredded cheddar melted in at the end for a creamy, spoon-coating texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
Elbow macaroni
  • 2 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
Beef broth
  • 4 cup beef broth
Condensed cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup
Shredded cheddar
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar
Heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Mustard powder
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
Garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
Pickles
  • 1 Pickles for serving
Green onions
  • 1 green onions for serving
Extra cheddar
  • 0.5 cup extra cheddar for serving
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain the fat.
Build the aromatics
  1. Sauté the diced onion for 3 minutes, until softened, then add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute.
Simmer the base
  1. Add the beef broth, condensed cheddar cheese soup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, and garlic powder, then bring to a boil.
  2. Add the elbow macaroni and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
Finish creamy
  1. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the heavy cream and shredded cheddar until fully melted and smooth.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with pickles, green onions, and extra cheddar.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat low when adding the heavy cream and shredded cheddar so the cheese melts smoothly without separating. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing is not recommended because the pasta and dairy can change texture. For a lighter option, use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream and a reduced-fat cheddar (the broth will be slightly less rich).