Oh man, can you say comfort food?!?! My husband will be thrilled with this one! Thanks Steph!

Oh and just because I like to point out funny things....
"ground beef, browned and drained on the stove top"
Ha! I don't know how I'd feel draining ON the stovetop.... hehehe.

Oh Steph! This is genius! Cant wait to try it!

wow! that sounds awesome!
I love velveeta, and I happen to have some myself. thanks for the recipe.

This sounds so, so good. I can't wait to try this.

I love cheese/potato soup.....hubby always wants meat in it, so I will have to give this one a try......it looks so good.

I will be making this and the buffalo wing soup this weekend! Both sound yummy!

Crockpot Lady

Thanks for your great gluten free recipe blog! Good luck on the books, I feel like your are a famous friend and that "I knew you when"! My sweet husband is off to get potatoes and we are having soup for supper! Sounds like the perfect comfort food for a couple of people who have colds! Thanks MNRose

This is such a timely recipe. The weather here is cooling off and I just got a new slow cooker that I really love better than my old one! I only have to pick up some Velveeta and will definitely be making this later in the week. Looks so good!

How do you convert recipes into crock pot recipes? I have lots of recipes and would love to throw them in the crockpot.

Woo Hoo!!
That was awesome! it looked kind of funky because it curdled. Any clues why?? The flavor was awesome and I had to come to the computer to keep from finishing it all. Husband said "Well, you know you like soup better than I do." Translation...**Cheeseburgers are really good, soup not.** I'll make it for me in a smaller pot & cut the recipe in half!
Thanks

MNRose

Awesome. You have such a great array of recipes! I love your blog. I'll be sad when your year is over! Excited about all the publicity you're getting... you deserve it!

Velveeta and soy milk in the same picture makes me grin.

My family won't eat a meal without bread. What kind of bread would you serve with this soup?
Thanks!

Alpaca Farmgirl, if I wasn't steering clear of gluten, I'd go for a crusty sour dough.

I hope you enjoy this!
-steph

I just threw all the ingredients for this into my CrockPot. The house ALREADY smells fantastic!

This looks yummy! I think I'll make it this weekend or next since I have some Velveeta on hand that I wasn't sure what to do with. How much does this make? I'm wondering if half the recipe would be enough for my husband and me? I just don't like a lot of leftovers (unless I can freeze them, but I don't think this would be the best candidate to freeze).

Hi Sara,

yes, I would half it. We did have enough leftovers for a few days of lunches.

xoxo
steph

Ok, I don't know what I did wrong, but this soup turned out terrible.

I tasted it at lunch and it was delicious, so I'm guessing that I cooked it too long. The cheese and milk just kind of degraded to a disgusting mess.

Perhaps I'll try it again sometime, as it was pretty good at lunch!

oh no, Christy! I'm so sorry! I've done that before, and have kicked myself. I need to remember to click over to warm once things taste good.

I'm sorry this happened to you---it stinks.
xox
steph

Would canned cheddar cheese soup be an okay substitute for Velvetta?

I've never bought/eaten Velvetta - it's NOT something sold/served where I grew up and I gotta admit, the thought of it creeps me out. Am I missing out on something? Does it provide a better flavor than using a combo of canned cheddar cheese soup & fresh grated cheese at the end?

Educate me, please!

Hi Village Gal,

I am sure that the canned cheese soup would provide a similar taste to that of processed american cheese. It's not worth eating something that would creep you out!
xox
steph

Thanks! I've always assumed Velvetta was a regional thing & not something I need to hunt for in the store, but after reading all the comments of how much folks love having it in their home I wondered if I was really missing something special. I think I'll stick to canned & fresh combo. Appreciate it & love your blog!

Hi, CrockPot Lady! I made this the other day (stovetop since I didn't start it in time for CrockPot)--and it was really good! I see in one of the previous comments you talked about serving with sourdough. We had it in sourdough bread bowls, and it was great and LOOKED super-cool (though of course it wasn't GF). Here's a link to my blog post about it. (You'll have to scroll past the bean sprouts first....)

http://cbethblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/easy-learning-activity-easy-meal-easy.html

Thanks for another awesome recipe!

I've just discovered you through C. Beth's blog.

This sounds wonderful, but I'm afraid to make it because I know my husband will love it -- and I suspect it isn't diet -- which is what we're supposed to be doing. But, at some point, I WILL try it. Thank you.

I hate to admit it, but I only use my crockpots to keep things hot after I've made them. I've never had much luck making things in one. I'm going to try some of your recipes.

YUMMY!! I just made this today and it was delicious! It had the best flavor. Definetly a keeper! Thanks

so... my texture turned out very strange. it was very very seperated and looked nothing like the picture! the taste was great, and i would like to make it again, i was just wondering if you had any tips on the texture...

thanks so much for sharing your recipes with us! :)

I had a bad turn out, too. It smelled really good but looked really bad. I figured it had potential, so I started investigating a little. I found this: "Milk, sour cream, and cream break down over long periods of cooking, and should be added during the last hour." I'm thinking those of us who had the bad turnout used cow's milk and not soy? Anyway, I'll try this again, but I won't add the milk until the last hour.

I just made this yesterday and mine separated as well. I was wondering if it had to do with using 1% milk. I know the recipe said to use 2% or lower, but I'm wondering if the higher fat content is needed to keep things together. Also, would substituting evaporated milk fix things? I think this soup has potential as the flavors were good, just need to figure out the texture. It definitely didn't have the creaminess that I expect from velveeta. Any ideas?

Okay.

I HATE IT WITH A FIREY PASSION that you have had your soup separate, but since I am turning in the book TOMORROW am so happy to have gotten these past comments.

Let's change it up to NOT put in the milk until 20-30 min before serving. I used soy, and it didn't separate, but I can see how it would do that with cow's milk. I think the velveeta and the cow's is just a lot of dairy and it goes bonkers. I have made this numerous times with soy (because that's what we usually have in the house). Since the content is only 1 cup, the potatoes will cook fine in just the broth. I also think 4 quarts is the right size, and while I initially wrote "at least 4 quarts"---unless you're home to keep an eye on it, 4 quarts is plenty big.

I've learned more about slow-cooking since I've written that post, and again I AM SO VERY SORRY to have led anyone to an icky meal.

xoxoxo
steph

thanks so much for your tips on the texture thing! im excited to try it again, as it tasted yummy even with the weirdness! :) have a great day!

Have you ever tried making this with non-processed cheese? I dislike Velveeta, but the idea of this soup sounds yummy. (I'd imagine true dairy cheese would have to go in later in the process.)

Mine separated/curdled before I even added the milk (which I did in the last 30-40 min.) To salvage things I through in some real sharp chedder, hoping to add some creaminess to the curdled look. Tasted great though. Next time, I will add all dairy in at the end. Thanks for the recipe and for the follow-up!

For everyone having problems with your dairy separating here's why:

One of the first things you should be taught is to never boil a soup with dairy. The high heat causes the dairy proteins to constrict and drive out any moisture contained within. Milk will curdle and the melted cheese will re-consolidate into a gloopey mess. Add the dairy at the end (last 15-20 min with a crock-pot) just to finish and make sure it does not come back up to a simmer. Good Luck. : )

Hi! I just want to say I have been making this very recipe for quite some time now. It is my all time fav!! Mike A is right, the key is adding your dairy right at the very end, about 10 min before serving. I also have made this without the sour cream...still tastes Yummy! I also only ever use ground turkey because I hate ground beef and again...still tastes YUM-O!!!

Thanks for all the great recipes!!
Marla

i just made this... omg is it ever good! Funny story tho: i thought i had a 5qt crockpot, so i just used the recipe as is.. i'm a grad student, i tend to make a lot when i do cook so i can have tons of leftovers.

Well... i don't have a 5qt crockpot, i have a 4qt!! So needless to say, my crockpot seriously runneth ovar. i ended up having to ladle some off and finish it on the stovetop and actually i'm going to finish the rest on the stovetop too... it seems to be congealing better and mixing better than in the pot... but i'm also impatient. Heh. But this is seriously amazingly good, and i will say i was in doubt because Velveeta was forbidden in my house growing up. While i'm not really a believer now... i'm definitely being drawn to the dark side by it. Thanks for the recipe!!!

This was very good! It makes a lot! I did use a can of 98% ff cream of mushroom and less cheese and it was still very thick and cheesy! Thanks for the recipe.

I can't wait to make this tomorrow!

Planning on making this for a youth group this weekend...

First time making it....but would it not help to mix the cheese/milk in a bowl and add in a small, small amount into it before adding it to the soup....kind of like you do with eggs (called tempering?)...I would think this would help solve curdling/separation problem.

Gonna make this for dinner tonight! Also your blog is scary similar to my blog, with a different kitchen staple as your obsession. I'm all about the muffin pan. All meals made in a muffin pan, except soup of course hehe. I think my profile is even says the same thing "an unnatural obsession" hehe awesome job!

Just made this tonight...AWESOME!! Thanks :)

I have been desparate to find ways to use my crock, so I'm delighted to find you!!! You're officially added to my Google Reader. Now I'll stay well informed and have a constant reminder to make life easier for myself with my crock. I think I have bought velveta twice in my life before now. But, today I'm buying it to try this, my first attempt at one of your recipes. I told my husband about the Irish coffee recipe, so I'm pretty sure I'll be back often!

YUMMY YUMMY!!! Guess what we're having for dinner tonight!

ALL HAIL VELVEETA!

I just made this so it its currently cooking, but know after i put it all together and I used chicken broth like it called for I'm curious why it didn't call for beef broth instead? Has anyone used beef broth for this recipe.

I made this tonight. SOOO GOOD! My family loved it. I swapped the milk for a can of evaporated milk, and the bell pepper for a yellow one. We went through an entire loaf of french bread because the sauce was so amazing. Loved it- and working our way through the rest of your amazing recipes!!

Made this last night and it was super delish! I didn't have any onions, but did have onion soup mix so added that to the meat will browning. Turned out awesome. Both hubby and kids asked if this could be put into regular meal rotation!

Amazing comfort food! Thank you for sharing! We LOVE it!!!

I'm coming to this party late, but wanted to share my even-quicker-and-easier tip: I keep Trader Joe's frozen mashed potatoes in my freezer at all times and used them instead of whole potatoes in this recipe - and now realize that mashed potatoes are a GREAT creamy soup thickener and will be doing this again!


I was doing this one on the stovetop but I'm sure you can microwave defrost them a little first and stir to break up the frozen clumps, or just add frozen clumps and mash them with the back of a spoon after they've become sufficiently heated up and stir in.

I know this is an old post so hopefully you see this. If I made this at home including the dairy for the last 20-30 minutes, and then transported it to a get-together 20 minutes away, would the dairy hold up? Would I then plug it in on low (or just "warm"?) for a few minutes before serving?

Hi Stephanie,
Sure thing. The milk shouldn't separate since it's only 1 cup, but what you could do just in case is to scoop out a few cups of the hot soup into a large bowl and slowly stir in the milk, and then stir the bowl's contents back into the pot.

As for your party, I'd probably plug it in on high for 20-30 min to get it fully hot again, and then keep it on warm. I hope this helps a bit!! Enjoy your party!