ONE-POT MACARONI CHEESEBURGER SOUP – NO VELVEETA! – Page 3

HAMBURGER BUN CROUTONS
A fun way to complete the cheeseburger theme in this soup is to make crispy, crunchy croutons out of sesame seed hamburger buns. You can use my super simple homemade crouton recipe as a guide.*

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place sesame seed bun cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and whatever seasonings you’d like – I love dried oregano and garlic powder – and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.

CHEESEBURGER SOUP
While the sesame bun croutons are baking, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground beef, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Brown the beef, crumbling with a spatula until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat butter in the same large pot over medium heat (no need to wipe out or drain the grease). Saute onion, carrots, celery, along with a large pinch of salt and pepper in the same pot over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and add garlic, oregano, and thyme and cook for another minute.