Cheeseburger Soup | A Bit of Cream

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 8 tbsp or one stick butter, divided
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion
• 1 ½ cups shredded carrot
• 1 ½ cups thinly diced celery
• ½ cup or more diced red/green peppers, any combination
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 8 cups peeled and cubed potatoes, in bite sized pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup flour
• 4 cups mix of sharp and mild shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey jack)
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Optional - add a little hot sauce or cayenne for some heat