Easy Low Carb Cheeseburger Soup

Chop bacon into small pieces. Heat Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and crispy, about 5–8 minutes. Remove bacon to paper-towel-lined plate to drain and spoon out any grease from pan and save for another use (see post for tips on how to use bacon grease).

Melt butter in pan and add ground beef. Cook, breaking up meat while it browns until fully cooked. Stir in cream cheese, tomato paste, mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour in beef broth and cream and bring to a low simmer. Stir in cheese and let simmer 5–7 minutes until fully heated and melted smooth.

Add bacon back into pan and let cool for 5–10 minutes to thicken before serving.

Notes:
1. For best results, shred cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt quite as smoothly due to the anti-caking powder and can become lumpy.
2. Soup will be thin, but cooling for 5 minutes before serving will allow the cheeses to thicken the soup. For a thinner soup, add more broth.
3. For a creamier texture, add an additional 1/4 cup cream.