Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

What happens when you love a great bacon cheeseburger and a really good bowl of soup? You make Bacon Cheeseburger Soup! This soup is rich with all the flavors you'd expect from a bacon cheeseburger twisted into a cozy, hearty soup. Each bite is filled with crispy bacon, juicy beef, and melty cheese. It's packed with protein and veggies that will not only satisfy your tastebuds but keep you fueled and nourished. This soup is easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and you make it in one pot (That's a bonus in my book!). It's guaranteed to please and makes dinner easy and fun to whip up and enjoy. It's perfect to chow down on when you want some game day food or if you just want to curl up on a chilly night and watch a movie. Anyway you like it, this warming soup proves that it doesn't take complicated ingredients or methods to make a really flavorsome meal!

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices Bacon, cut into thin pieces

• 2 Tbsp bacon fat, rendered from cooking the bacon

• 1 Ib Ground Beef

• 1 Onion, Chopped

• 4 Stalks Celery, Chopped

• 5 oz Package Mushrooms, Chopped

• 2 Sweet Potatoes, washed and chopped into bite size cubes

• Sea Salt and Pepper

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• 3 Cups Water or Broth

• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

• 1/4 Cup Light Cream (or Light Coconut Milk for non dairy option)

• 1 Tbsp Arrowroot or Tapioca

• 8 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded (sub 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast for non dairy option)

The Method:

• Heat a large pot over med high heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy. Be sure to give it a few stirs as it cooks. Shut off burner. Remove the bacon and add it to a small bowl lined with a paper towel. Set aside. Remove all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan.

• In the pan with fat, saute the ground beef over med heat. Break it up as it's cooking. Cook until just starting to brown. Turn off heat and place the beef in a bowl. Set aside.

• Now heat the pan over medium heat, add in the onions and celery. Saute until slightly soft and onion is translucent. Next add in the mushrooms and minced garlic. Continue to saute until mushrooms are sightly brown. Add in the sweet potatoes. Saute for a few minutes and then add in 1 cup of the water or broth. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer until the sweet potatoes are just fork tender.

• As everything is simmering, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining water or broth, tomato paste, dijon mustard, light cream, and arrowroot. Stir until well incorporated and the soup begins to slightly thicken.

• Stir in the beef, 3/4 of the cheese, and half the bacon. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.

• Time to serve it up! Top each bowl with the remaining cheese and bacon.

• I love to serve this with a crisp crunchy hunk of romaine or iceberg wedge on the side topped with diced red onion, homemade Russian dressing, and a pickle!

Serves 4

Calories 391 Carbs 17.9g. Fat 19.7g. Protein 34.1g

Enjoy! xx