3 cups of potato, not 4 just because I was so sick of putting and fixing potatoes
I used 6 oz. Velveeta and 8 oz. shredded mild cheddar for cheese - I wanted the emulsifiers in the Velveeta and also some real cheese; sharp cheddar would be good too, but my family does not like strong cheese
Instead of 3/4 tsp. salt, I used 1 tsp. season salt too make up for the missing herbs
No sour cream because my wife does not like it. It is completely unnecessary from a thickening perspective.
I don't drain the ground beef. I just scoop it out of the pan and use the beef fat to cook my veggies. Why remove a flavorful fat to then add another for cooking? I was going to not use this extra butter in the recipe, but then I threw it in my roux because I am not a smart man. Or I love butter. The first is what actually happened, but the second is not really a lie.
For toppings, I had potato chips, diced kosher dill pickle, and green onions. The chips add crunch and a little fried/browned flavor. The pickles brighten the dish and drive home the cheeseburger flavor. The green onions add a little vegetal flavor and a mouth feel similar to lettuce.
I made a double batch, and it will feed my family of 4 for two dinners or more. This is a heavy soup.
That is exactly where I was with it. It wound up being delicious, but I was unsure at every step along the way. It was a gamble, but both of my boys loved it as a fun spin on a food they enjoy.
I added the recipe link and notes to the post as an edit.
If anything, it's consistency was a little thicker than many chowders. Between the roux, the cheese, and the many small bits in the soup, it is very thick. I liked it this way, but I could see using more broth to thin it out a bit.
The soup is heavy. I am a big guy who can easily put back a few bowls of soup at dinner. I could barely finish two half-full bowls.
I added the recipe to the post. We did have hard rolls with it, but I further hardened them out a little too much as I neglected them in the oven. My youngest still enjoyed hollowing out his roll and using it as a hand-held bread bowl.