Crock Pot or Instant Pot Cheesy Meatball Soup [+Video]

A creamy soup is turned into a crock pot or instant pot cheesy meatball soup with just a few pantry staple ingredients like carrots, potatoes, garlic, and corn, then add the cheese!

It got way too cold way too fast this year in Utah.

What’s your weather like where you are? Can you tap comments and let us know? It’s always so fun to see where everyone is and what the weather is like.

Usually I love the fall, and I still loved the changing colors but getting cold as early as it did usually means for a longer, harsher winter and I’m not a fan of that at all.

This year we are making sure we are on top of slow cooker and instant pot meals in case you’re freezing and not feeling like slaving over a stove like we are.

I’m going to include instructions for cooking this on the stove top as well.

How to Make Crock Pot or Instant Pot Cheesy Meatball Soup

While you can totally just dump this all in a crock pot and wait 8 hours to build the right texture and flavor it’s not the way I do it.

I know, you don’t want to dirty another pan, but it’s quick and easy and the flavor will be worth it.

1. Heat a dutch oven or  large skillet over medium high heat and add the butter. Once it’s melted add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Throw in your frozen meatballs (unless you really want to go through the work of cooking homemade) just to get all of that flavor browning on them.
4. Dump everything but the cornstarch and cheese into a slow cooker and put it on low for 6 hours or high for 3.

Slow Cooker Soup versus Instant Pot Soup

A slow cooker will allow more flavors to come out and the soup to be a little thicker.

Instant pots collect more steam and therefore water so you could end up with more liquid than you wanted.

If you make this soup make sure you try our instant pot chicken noodle soup. Our 13 year old is OBSESSED.

Also, if you go with the Instant Pot, add the milk in the last step (step 3 in the instruction). Adding milk before the pressure cooking can result in curdled milk.

Why Meatballs?

Meatballs make this cheesy soup a little more hearty and on a cold day that’s been busy with errands it’s kind of nice to get something more substantial in your soup.

Plus, the flavor and texture not only gives you something to bite while eating but it also brings more to the soup than just a plain, no seasonings added meat.

Can you Use Ground Beef or Stew Meat?

If you don’t have meatballs on hand you can cook up ground beef in a pan or use stew meat.

Because neither come flavored I’d add:

• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Can Cheesy Soup Be Frozen?

This is a really good soup to freeze because you can just wait to add the cornstarch and cheese.

Wait for the soup to cool, add the soup to a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

How to Reheat Frozen Soup

Reheating frozen soup is not just dumping it in a hot pan.

Instead, put the soup in the fridge or put the bag in a bowl of regular water-not hot or cold. Allow it to defrost and then reheat on the stove.

Bring to a soft boil and add the cheese at this point.

Is It Okay To Put Raw Meatballs In Soup?

Surprisingly enough you can totally add raw meatballs to a soup. But that’s usually for a stove top method as you get the soup hot and boiling and drop in the meatballs.

For a crock pot or instant pot soup I’d brown the meatballs in a pan on the stove first.

How Long Will Soup Keep?

Soup will keep for up to a week in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.

How Do You Get Onion Smell Off Your Hands?

Ugh, I hate when your hands smell like onions and garlic all day and night.

Wet your hands with water and rub your hands all over a stainless steel sink faucet and the smell will go away. Or you can buy this stainless steel odor absorber that’s shaped like a bar of soap. It’s only $8 and totally worth it.

How to Cook Cheesy Soup in the Instant Pot

1. Turn the instant pot to saute and follow the beginning directions right in the instant pot.
2. Push cancel.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the milk and cream) and reset the instant pot to high pressure for 15 minutes.
4. Add the lid and turn the valve to seal.
5. Allow a 10 minute natural release and then push cancel.
6. Press the saute on more mode again and once boiling stir in the cornstarch, milk (or cream) and cheese.
7. Serve with bread!

How to Make Cheesy Meatball Soup on the Stove Top

Out of all three cooking methods, this is the method that I actually prefer, but sometimes you just need options for the slow cooker and Instant Pot. I still use those options if the schedule for the day works better with a slow cooker or the Instant Pot. To cook it on the stove top, do the following steps:

1. In a large dutch oven, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and cook until tender.
2. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the meatballs and brown them on each side.
4. Pour in the rest of the ingredients (except the cornstarch and cheeses) and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
5. Combine the cornstarch and cheeses and add just before serving stirring in until it is melted.