Cheese Burger Chowder

Here is one of my family's all time favorite soups. Perfect for chilly fall days like today! it is so creamy and just plain amazing!

1/2 pound hamburger meat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried basil and parsley to taste
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes or a bag of frozen hashbrowns
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation

1. Brown the hamburger on medium to medium-high heat.
2. Drain the ground beef, but retain a bit of the fat to sautee the vegetables.
3. Add onion, carrot and celery to the soup pot. Add salt, sautee on medium low heat until onions are soft.
4. Add basil, parsley and pepper, and cook for a minute or two more, and add the broth and potatoes.
5. Return the beef to the soup pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while you make the cheese sauce.
6. While the soup is simmering, melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan.
7. Add the flour to the butter a small amount at a time, being sure to stir it in completely before adding more.
8. After all the flour has been added, cook the mixture for a minute or two. This will remove the raw flour taste.
9. Remove the flour/butter mixture from the heat. Add milk a bit at a time, making sure to stir completely to remove lumps.
10. Once the milk is added and the mixture is smooth, return it to the heat. Once it is hot, you can start adding the shredded cheese a bit at a time, making sure it gets melted in before adding more.
11. Add a cup or so of the broth the cheese sauce to help thin it, and to raise the temperature.
12. Add the cheese sauce and the sour cream to the soup.

Notes If you want to turn this cheeseburger soup recipe into a bacon cheeseburger soup recipe, then cook up some crispy bacon and sprinkle it into the soup just before serving.

Also, if you really miss the bun, try serving the soup with some toasted sourdough bread. Great for dipping into the soup!