Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup {Dairy Free, Paleo, Whole30}
Comfort in a bowl, this hearty recipe has all our favorite cheeseburger flavors in soup form!!
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 2 baking sheets
- Aluminum foil
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 pkg bacon
- 1 large onion small diced
- 1½ teaspoon salt + extra pinches
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lbs ground beef 85/15 is what I use
- ¼ cup paleo friendly ketchup
- ½ cup dill pickle brine
- 2 15 oz fired roasted diced tomatoes sub plain diced tomatoes if that's what you have
- 4 cups beef broth
Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce*
- 1½ tablespoon light olive oil
- 16 oz pkg pre-cut butternut squash or ½ fresh medium or large butternut squash peeled and diced
- 2 pinches salt plus more for baking
- 1 dash black pepper
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Paleo/Whole30 compliant brand if desired
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
Make the Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up if desired.
- Place squash cubes on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt, and a dash of black pepper. Use spatula and stir to combine on baking sheet. Make sure squash is separated into a single layer.
- Bake for 15-30 minutes (depending on how large the squash cubes are) tossing once halfway through. Bake until very tender. If you want a smokier flavored cheese sauce, bake longer for more browning.
- Allow to cool on baking sheet about 10-15 minutes.
- Add squash to blender along with nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, broth, and 2 pinches of salt. Blend until completely smooth about 15-20 seconds.
While butternut squash is baking...
- If you prefer to fry the bacon on the stove top: In a large cold skillet add slices of bacon and turn heat on to MEDIUM. Cook 1-2 minutes per side until cooked through and crisp to your liking. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Or see the tips below for baking the bacon and butternut squash at the same time.**
- Add diced onions and a pinch of salt to the pan with the hot bacon grease. Sauté until softened about 3-5 minutes. Add salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Sauté until aromatic about 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef to hot skillet with onions and spices, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add beef, onion and spice mixture to slow cooker. Add ketchup, dill pickle brine, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and butternut squash "cheese" sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on LOW 5-6 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours. Serve warm topped with chopped bacon.
Notes
*Here's the link to the Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce recipe. It's easy to make and is a great replacement for yellow cheeses! Check out the link above for tips on using frozen butternut squash in this recipe.
**The bacon and butternut squash can be baked at the same time. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean up if desired. Place bacon in a single layer, bake 15 minutes, flip, and continue baking until fully cooked about 4-6 more minutes. Reserve 2-3 tablespoon of the bacon grease for cooking onions. Bake butternut squash cubes in the same oven with the bacon according to Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce recipe directions linked above.
Nutrition
Calories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 25gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1512mgPotassium: 872mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 802IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!