This Crockpot creamy potato and hamburger soup is easy to make and delicious. Similar to our Crockpot Potato Soup with Frozen Hashbrowns but this one is homemade, from scratch! Add lean ground beef or spicy ground sausage for a bit of heat.
No matter what time of year it is, we love soup for dinner and one that can be made as an easy Crockpot recipe is even better!! Comfort food in a bowl packed with vegetables and ready to enjoy with your family for dinner this week. (affiliate links present)
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Crockpot Creamy Potato Ground Beef Soup
We this new hamburger meat recipe because everyone loves it, it’s inexpensive and our freezer is packed with all kinds of beef! We buy in bulk every year from a local farmer so it is super lean and full of flavor. It’s not just for burgers anymore, we use it to add protein to all sorts of meals now.
Baked Potato Soup with Ground Beef
Years and years ago I came up with this Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup, another favorite I make often. That one uses canned condensed cream of mushroom soup which is convenient but we are going all out with this one.
How do I make potato soup in a Crock pot?
You literally throw everything in, except the dairy, and let it cook for several hours. Then about an hour before you’re ready to eat you pour that in with a bit of cornstarch that will make it thicker. We use heavy cream here but it would be easy to make dairy-free with coconut milk and a bit more thickener.
What are the best potatoes to use in soup?
Russets break down more easily when cooked, which can help thicken the soup naturally. They are great for creamy soups or when you want the potatoes to almost dissolve into the broth. Red are great too but firmer so they won’t help make it thick but will keep their shape for longer if you prefer them to stay together and provide a bit more texture.
Ingredients
- Ground beef or half Jimmy Dean spicy ground sausage is great for a bit of heat
- Olive oil
- Onion diced
- Potatoes peeled, cubed
- Celery diced
- Minced garlic
- Carrot peeled and diced
- Frozen peas
- Beef broth
- Cheddar cheese grated, more or less up to you
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Thickener like potato starch or cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
How long do potatoes take to get soft in a Crockpot?
That depends on how large they are. If left whole you are looking at 5-6 hours on low to get tender in the very center. In this case you need to cube them into pieces, about 1×1″ in size so that makes it a lot quicker. I always recommend low but for this dish high is okay. Leaving it for longer is okay too (perfect forgetful meal I call it). Potatoes will just break down more and essentially make it even thicker!
- High Setting typically take about 2 hours to become tender.
- Low Setting potatoes generally take 4 hours to soften.
Want to make this faster?? You can follow our Instant Pot Hamburger Soup with Potatoes recipe here for those directions. In this case I didn’t make it creamy but you could pour the heavy cream in at the end to transition it into that style.
How do you make potato soup thicker?
With our Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup with Heavy Cream, the thicker the dairy product the more dense your meal will become meaning heavy whipping cream is better than 2% milk, duhhhh. Beyond that you can whisk 1 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch into the cream and then add in there for the last hour.
Does cream cheese thicken up potato soup?
Yes!! Another great option for sure and you can find lactose free varieties too. I suggest you leave it on the counter first so it can soften. When adding cream cheese to potato soup, it’s best to cut it into small pieces or cubes and add it towards the end of cooking, the last hour is good, stirring until it melts completely.
Why we love this Cozy Soup with Ground Beef
Yes you do. It doesn’t have to be completely browned, a bit of pink can remain as it will cook for several more hours in the hot broth but you don’t want to add raw ground meat into a soup as the texture won’t be ideal (it will break apart) and you can’t ensure it will reach a safe internal temp.
If you are adding heavy cream into soup or other dish you should wait closer to the end of the dish being finished to prevent curdling. Also before adding cream to hot liquid, temper it by slowly heating it up. Take a small amount of hot soup or sauce and gradually whisk together. This helps bring the temperatures closer together for better results.
Crockpot Creamy Potato and Hamburger Soup
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. ground beef, or spicy ground sausage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 potatoes, peeled, cubed, russets will make it thicker
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/4 c frozen peas
- 4 c beef broth
- 1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated, more or less up to you
- 1/2 c Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 tbsp potato starch, or cornstarch to thicken
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a skillet with olive oil, diced onions and add garlic last 2 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Dump into slow cooker.
- Add peeled and cubed potatoes, carrots, and peas. (or could just use 1 cup mixed frozen vegetables). Pour in the broth, add salt and any seasonings you would like, stir.
- Set the High for 2 hours, or low for 4 hours (can leave for total of 6 but veggies will just get softer).
- 1 hour before serving mix 3 tablespoons of cream with cornstarch or potato starch until smooth, then pour into the pot and stir in with remaining cream and grated cheddar. Cover with a lid, again and cook for the remaining hour to thicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious comfort food dinner. Also a great way to use up ground beef from the freezer. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m a huge fan of one-pot cooking and this soup recipe did not disappoint! Easy to follow and full of wonderful flavours. Thanks!
Crockpot soup is great for the summer months when it’s too hot to turn the stove on. Was so easy and perfect for the family.