Cheesy Cowboy Chowder
This hearty Cheesy Cowboy Chowder will be one of your favorite soup recipes in no time. It comes together in about 30 minutes and fills your tummy in less time than that!
This recipe is a play on cowboy casserole. Cowboy casserole is a tater tot casserole with ground beef, cheese, corn, and yumminess. We’re swapping out the tater tots for regular potatoes in this soup (because tater tots sound weird in a soup) and we’re turning the filling casserole into a creamy chowder that sticks to your ribs just as well!
Simple, Everyday Ingredients
Cowboy chowder uses things I usually have on hand. Ground beef, cheese, etc…heck, the wildest ingredient that I don’t always have on hand is heavy cream! But I’ve used milk in a pinch and it works just fine.
This is also a great one for meal prep!
I will usually divide leftovers of Cheesy Cowboy Chowder into individual containers and have it for lunch all week. I even freeze it – with this caveat – soups with milk and cream don’t freeze well because they take on a grainy texture. Since I don’t add the dairy until the end of this soup, I will often make and freeze it without the dairy. Then when I reheat it I add the cream and cheese while it’s getting warm. When I do that, I put a note on the container that goes in the freezer to remind myself that I need to add the cheese any heavy cream when I reheat it.
Don’t be afraid to change it up a bit!
I think this chowder would be delicious with chorizo instead of ground beef. You can also swap out the cheese. A pepper jack or a gouda/cheddar mix would be delicious!
What to serve it Cheesy Cowboy Chowder
When I see the word cowboy in the name I automatically think biscuits. But those soft garlic breadsticks in the freezer section would also be a great match if you need a shortcut.
If you’re looking for soup recipes, you might also be interested in these:
Kale and Sausage Soup with Potatoes
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3 Tablespoons bacon grease or butter
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped small
- 1 tablespoon salt divided
- 2 teaspoons pepper divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder divided
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth (or beef broth or vegetable broth)
- 3 medium russet potatoes (or gold) peeled and chopped
- 3 cups shredded cheddar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 cans corn kernels or a bag of frozen corn
- 6 slices cooked bacon
- 4 green onions, tops only sliced
- 3 teaspoons liquid smoke optional
Ingredients
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- Melt the bacon grease (or butter) in a pan and brown the ground beef in it. When the beef is about half way done, add the chopped onion and about half of the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is brown and the onions are softening.
- Add the flour to the pan and stir until it is incorporated and starting to brown. (1-3 minutes). Then add the broth and stir well. Add the chopped potato. Cover and cook until potatoes are just under fork tender. (about 10 minutes)
- Uncover and stir in 2 cups of the cheese, the cream, the corn, half the bacon, half the green onion, and the liquid smoke. Stir and heat just until the cheese is melty and the corn in warmed through. If you're using frozen corn there is no need to thaw.
- Taste to see if you need more salt, pepper, or garlic. Ladle into bowl and top with more cheese, bacon, and green onions. Enjoy!
Oh yum! I can’t wait to try this! I love that it’s something I can make ahead of time for meal prepping.
Thank you! Enjoy!
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I put it on my fall soup lineup!
Thank you! We love it!