A Cheeseburger in a Bowl

I was looking for a soup recipe. I wanted a soup that used hamburger meat. I wanted something I had never made before. I was leaning toward steak soup in the style of Plaza III restaurant when I stumbled upon this tasty concoction. I saw it over at Tasty Kitchen. It is originally from A Farmgirl's Dabbles. This makes a large quantity of soup, and I would probably cut the recipe in half next time. Enjoy!

Bacon Mushroom Cheeseburger Soup

--adapted from A Farmgirl's Dabbles

Ingredients:

8 slices Thick Cut Bacon

2 pounds Lean Ground Beef

2 Tablespoons Lipton Onion Soup Mix

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Large Onion, Chopped

16 ounces, weight Button Mushrooms, Sliced

4 whole Garlic, Minced

6 cups Reduced Sodium Beef Broth

2 cans (14.5 Oz. Cans) Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Undrained

2 cans (10.75 Oz. Cans) Cheddar Cheese Soup

2 cups Half-and-half

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

¼ cup Ketchup

1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Medium Hot Chili Powder

½ teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

½ cup Light Sour Cream

Diced Dill Pickles, Optional Garnish

Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Optional Garnish

Garlic Croutons, Optional Garnish

Preparation:

     In a heavy pot with tall sides (a small to medium sized stock pot works great) over medium heat, fry the bacon. Remove bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Let cool, then roughly chop it and set aside.

     Drain the bacon grease and return pot to the burner. Add the ground beef, breaking it into smaller chunks as you cook it. Sprinkle with Lipton Onion Soup mix and stir. Once the hamburger is thoroughly browned, remove to another plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

     Drain any hamburger grease from the pot and add the butter. Once it is mostly melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir well. Cook until thoroughly softened, about 15 minutes.

     Then add the browned hamburger back to the pot, followed by the beef broth, tomatoes, cheddar cheese soup, half and half, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, Lawry’s salt, and black pepper. Let the soup heat up as you occasionally stir it. Once hot, stir in the sour cream and chopped bacon. Let it cook another minute or so, then you are ready!

     Serve with a garnishing of dill pickle chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic croutons.