1½poundsgold potatoes(peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces)
2large carrots(peeled and chopped)
1ribcelery(finely chopped)
4cupslow sodium chicken broth
1½teaspoonssalt
1teaspoondried parsley
¼teaspoonblack pepper
1cuphalf and half
2tablespoonsall purpose flour or corn starch
1 ½cupsshredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
In a medium or large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Place beef in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
Add potatoes, carrots, celery, chicken broth, salt, parsley, and pepper, and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours, until potatoes and carrots are tender.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Stir into the slow cooker, cover, and cook for another 60 minutes on HIGH until the soup has thickened slightly (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
Turn the Slow Cooker to LOW and stir in the shredded cheese. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Prep AheadYou can prep the soup by adding the cooked ground beef, onions, carrots, and celery to the slow cooker pot the night before, covering it, and storing it in the fridge. In the morning, simply add the potatoes and broth and start the slow cooker! Ingredients and Substitutions:
Ground beef: it won’t have quite the same “cheeseburger” flavor, but you can swap the ground beef with lean ground turkey, pork, or chicken if you prefer.
Potatoes: almost any potato will do here! Red potatoes are also great; you can chop them without peeling, adding fibre and nutrients.
Broth: I always start with low-sodium broth and add salt as needed. If you are starting with salted broth, you may want to reduce the added salt and add it to taste after cooking.
Seasonings: I kept the seasonings simple here, but feel free to add extra spice, ground mustard, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, or other ingredients to suit your tastes.
Half and half: half and half will keep this soup a little lighter. If you want a richer soup, swap it for heavy cream.
Storage
Store: Wait until the soup has completely cooled, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Freeze: If you intend to freeze your soup, it's best to leave out the cream, cornstarch, and cheese until you're reheating it later on. Once cooled, the soup can be stored in a freezer-safe container or portioned in Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge and warm on the stove before adding the remaining ingredients. Bear in mind that potatoes that have been frozen and defrosted can sometimes have a different texture.