Cheeseburger Soup

I’ve already shared a few of the recipes that we shot on that trip - Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies, Dutch Oven Jambalaya, Sloppy Giuseppes , and Campfire Chicken Curry... today it’s time for my bacon cheeseburger soup recipe!

This easy cheeseburger soup started out as my Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup, just slightly re-worked to be better as a hearty soup for camping.

This creamy cheese soup is a popular soup for a reason - sure, it may be diet friendly (keto if you want it to be!), but it’s a comforting soup that the whole family will love.

This version of my cheeseburger soup can involve a bit of food prep - chopping bacon and onion ahead of time, freezing it for later use. It’s also a one-pot soup now, making for a quick and delicious meal to throw together over a campfire.

Oh, and it’s inclusive - the soup is naturally gluten free, whether you do the low carb version, or the regular one!

We like to have a selection of garnishes ready so we can top it different ways - shredded cheese, more bacon, chopped pickles, sesame seeds, whatever!

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need to make your campfire cheeseburger soup:

Ingredients

This recipe uses super basic ingredients, you won’t have any trouble finding everything you need in any grocery store.

As always, I have a few ingredient notes for you.

Ground Meat

When I’m making this for myself, I use lean ground beef - less fat to have to deal with after it cooks.

When I’m making this soup knowing my husband will be eating it, I use ground chicken. It’s a great option for those who can’t - or don’t want to - eat beef for whatever reason.

I’m sure Beyond Meat would also work well, for that matter.

Bacon

I try to use actual bacon whenever possible, but chicken bacon works, too.

You’re just going to want to use a bit of olive oil when cooking it, and add a little more when you add the ground meat. With regular bacon, you don’t need it- you’re cooking the beef/chicken in the rendered bacon fat.

If you’re making the recipe at home, from scratch, I’d cook the bacon first - until crispy - then add the onions.

When doing it up as a campfire meal, I just cook the bacon and onions together. It’s all good.

Shredded Cheese

I like to use sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe, because I like the more robust cheese flavour it brings.

That said, feel free to use a mild or medium cheddar, if you prefer. You can even swap in Monterey Jack or even Pepper Jack (for a bit of heat!) for some or all of the cheese.

Broth

If using ground beef, you can use either beef broth or chicken broth - I’ll usually go with whatever I have on hand.

When doing ground chicken, I use chicken stock/broth.

Thickener

Corn starch is a good, gluten free thickener... but if you want this soup to be low carb, use ½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum instead.

Just make sure it’s REALLY well mixed with the spices before adding it to the cheese, as it has a tendency to clump.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Dill Pickles
Small Onion
Ketchup
Yellow Mustard
Smoked Paprika
Garlic Powder
Sesame Seeds
Ground Black Pepper
Salt

... I just really don’t have anything else to add, as far as these last few ingredients go!

How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the visual walk through:

Ahead of Time

Chop the bacon and onions, place in a medium freezer baggie labeled with “Bacon Cheeseburger Soup”.

Mix the corn starch, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a snack sized baggie. Press out excess air, seal, and place in the baggie of onions and bacon.

Press out any excess air, seal that baggie, and freeze until use.

Note: If you’re cooking at home, set your burner to medium-high heat, you can use a medium or large pot.

In a Dutch oven or camping soup pot, cook the bacon and onion. Don’t worry about the extra fat in the pan just yet.

Add the ground meat and olive oil - if there wasn’t enough fat left over from cooking the bacon.

Brown ground beef (ground chicken, in this case) - breaking it up into small bits with a wooden spoon or runner spatula - until well browned.

Add the broth to the pot, bring up to a simmer.

Stir well between additions, allowing cheese to melt before adding more.

Once cheese melts and is fully combined, add the chopped pickles, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve hot, topped with sesame seeds, sliced pickles, shredded cheese, and/or crispy bacon, as desired. Also goes well with some crusty bread on the side!

Leftover Soup

Once cooled to room temperature, leftover cheeseburger soup can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Best served reheated.

More One-Pot Camping Recipes

Looking for more easy - but satisfying! - one pot meals to cook over your campfire? Here are some of my favourites!

Beef & Root Vegetable Stew
Cajun Chicken Sloppy Joes
Campfire Chicken Curry
Campfire Chili
Dutch Oven Jambalaya
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Hearty Campfire Beef Stew
Sloppy Giuseppes
Traditional Sloppy Joes

... But wait, there's more! See our main Camping Recipes page for ALL of our camping recipes - snacks, desserts, mixes to make ahead of time, and more!